The Seattle Times
MONDAY, 31 JULY, 2006
HAUGEN ONE STEP CLOSER
TO WORLD TITLE SHOT
Story by Michael Barnes
Seattle lightweight Greg Haugen moved to within two wins of an IBL world title fight last night after a gutsy split decision victory over Kazakhstan native Anatoly Alexandrov at Sicks Stadium. It was a tough, even contest in which neither fighter had the upperhand for an extended period, a fact that made it difficult to score. Proof of this was that one judge gave each of the final three rounds to Haugen while another awarded them to Alexandrov. The final scorecards were 77-75, 75-77 and 77-75. Having scraped into the quarter-finals after a draw in his stage one bout Haugen must surely be one of the luckiest competitors in these IBL tournaments so far. He's the #1 seed in the Lightweight Challenger's tournament but it would be true to say he has not really fought like it.
The former NABF lightweight champion's record is now 26-3-1(17), Alexandrov falling to 17-4-1(12). Haugen's semi-final opponent will be the Mexican Enrique Bolanos, who made it through by virtue of his draw against Uganda's Cornelius Boza-Edwards. Amazingly both Bolanos and Boza-Edwards had been involved in drawn bouts in stage one, meaning neither of them has scored a win or suffered a defeat under the IBL banner. In the other semi-final Japan's 2nd seed Jaguar Kakizawa takes on Mexican-born Los Angeles talent Ruben Navarro. Both were unanimous decision victors, Kakizawa over Jackie Beard and Navarro against the German Lothar Abend.