MIHAI NISTOR, the first man to knock Anthony Joshua out in the amateurs, lost his unbeaten professional debut.
The Romanian lost an eight-round shut-out to Kashaun Davis on the latest Zuffa show.
Kashaun Daivs had too much for Mihai Nistor on the night Credit: Getty
Nistor did his best to hold on but he never looked like winning the contest Credit: Getty
The 35-year-old had seven knockout victories from seven fights before his loss, but those fights also took place across seven years.
He has been nowhere near active enough to make an impression and this was indeed his first battle in two years.
It was a scrappy affair, but Davis’ aggression and forward pressure overwhelmed Nistor.
While hardly a clinic, Davis was the deserved victor. Nistor was also deducted a point for holding in the fifth round.
To be fair, Davis is 6ft3in and over 300lbs. Nistor is a good three inches shorter and around 70lbs lighter.
The heavyweight enjoyed a fruitful amateur career that included seven national titles and two European bronze medals.
His crowning moment came when , before AJ’s Olympic glory.
It was only AJ’s second defeat as an amateur following an early setback against in 2009.
In the third round of their battle in , Nistor caught Joshua with a massive left hook that buckled the Watford-born star’s knees.
Nistor troubled AJ with a left hook, a common punch he’s struggled against
AJ was held up by ropes and avoided a true tumble. But after initially giving the Brit a count, the referee would decide to wave off the contest.
Nistor had recently spoken about facing Joshua once again now that they are both in the pros, but that seems like a far-fetched idea now.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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