It's over! @errolspencejr KOs @chrisalgieri in round 5! #mandown #spencealgieri https://t.co/CJOMi06Dn6
— PBC (@premierboxing) April 17, 2016
Before a national TV audience, before a packed crowd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Spence made a loud announcement that he’s arrived by splashing former junior welterweight titlist Chris Algieri (21-3, 8 KOs) three times, including twice in fifth, when referee Benjy Esteves Jr. waved it over at :48. Spence did something that not even the great Manny Pacquiao could do, and that’s stop Algieri for the first time in his career.
Algieri was knocked down in the fourth, and that was the beginning of the end for him. The second knockdown, but first in the fifth, came when Spence caught Algieri off balance with a left to the jaw. The end came when he popped Algieri with an overhand left, again hitting the magic spot on the jaw, forcing Algieri into the ropes and plopping down on his butt.
Spence (20-0, 17 KOs) can now enter the lucrative 147-pound world of Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Amir Khan, Lamont Peterson, Tim Bradley and IBF titlist Kell Brook, who Spence said he would be willing to travel to England to fight.
Spence landed 60 more punches than Algieri, connecting on 96 of 311 total shots (31%), to Algieri’s output of 36-114 (32%). Spence worked well off the jab, landing 23-133 (17%), while Algieri managed just 3 jab connects out of 24 attempts (13%). Power shots were Spence 73-178 (41%) to Algieri’s 33-90 (37%).
“(Algieri) tested me a little bit, and I was prepared for everything he came with,” said Spence, in his deep Southern draw, without a mark on his face. “We saw in previous fights that (Algieri) likes to go for the overhand and he’ll lean in a lot. So when he leaned in, I waited for him to come back up, and when he came back him, I met him with the left hook. Now I’m the No. 1-contender to Kell Brook, and Kell Brook knows what time it is. We have to get in the ring and fight. Danny Garcia and the rest of the welterweight champions. I want them all. It doesn’t matter who.”
In the first TV fight, Krzysztof Glowacki (26-0, 16 KOs) defended the WBO cruiserweight title for the first time with a dominating, though entertaining 12-round unanimous decision over two-time former IBF champ Steve Cunningham.
Cunningham, 39, survived two knockdowns in the second, one in the 10th and another in the 12th. It’s the first time Cunningham (28-7-1, 13 KOs) had never been knocked down four times in a fight.
Judges Guido Cavalleri and Eric Marlinski each saw it 115-109 for Glowacki, while Tom Schreck also had it for Glowacki, 116-108.
Glowacki, the Polish cruiserweight southpaw champ who had a strong Polish contingent backing him, showed some moxie and skill against Cunningham. There were times when “USS” put some pressure on the less-experienced titlist, and each time Glowacki reacted to it well.
Glowacki landed 111 of 435 total punches (26%) to Cunningham’s 118-352 (34%). And USS knew. As the final scores were being read aloud, Cunningham pointed to Glowacki because he felt he had won without question.
Perhaps everyone in Barclays thought Glowacki with the exception of Glowacki’s corner. They implored their fighter to attack Cunningham in the final round—and take a risk. Cunningham tried to employ a tactic where he leaned in his head in, attempting to come up with the right hand and try to finish Glowacki up top. But Cunningham could never get the spacing he needed. His most dangerous punch came in the 10, after he rose from the third knockdown. A perfect right on Glowacki’s chin caught the champ’s attention, and even buckled his knees. But Glowacki showed great resolve in withstanding more Cunningham heat to survive the round.
In an 8-round light heavyweight fight that wasn’t expected to go the distance, it did. Former U.S. 2012 Olympian Marcus Browne (18-0, 13 KOs) received a gift in winning a split-decision over Radivoje Kalajdzic (21-1, 14 KOs). Referee Tony Chiarantano erroneously ruled Browne knocked down knockdown Kalajdzic in the first round, when replays apparently showed that Kalajdzic fell backwards and Browne never landed a punch. Browne did, however, punch Kalajdzic when he was on his knees. That somehow escaped Chiarantano’s watchful eyes.
What didn’t escape anyone’s eyes was when Kalajdzic nailed Browne with a combination left-right-left, flooring Browne for the first time in his professional career with 1:25 left in the sixth. Browne lasted the round holding on for dear life and that ‘0’ on his record. Browne later received more help when judges Waleska Roldan (76-74) and Alan Rubenstein (76-75) scored it for Browne, and judge Joe Pasquale had it 76-74 for Kalajdzic: a choice most at ringside seemed to agree with.
Browne landed 53-117 total punches (30%), while Kalajdzic landed 81-221 (37%).
“I wasn’t listening to my corner, they kept telling me to rotate away from the right and I walked right into it (in the sixth round),” Browne said. “I walked into it and I got caught with something crazy, but I felt I had all of the momentum going for me. Even if he dropped me, I thought the fight was even. I thought he won two rounds at the most in that fight. My corner kept telling me to use my jab, because the jab was working for me the entire night. I totally felt like I won the fight. I did not lose this fight.”
Joseph Santoliquito is the president of the Boxing Writer's Association of America and a frequent contributor to Sherdog.com's mixed martial arts and boxing coverage. His archive can be found here.