Guido Vianello Dominant Victory Over Arslanbek Makhmudov In Career-Defining Bout

Italian heavyweight rises with stoppage win as Makhmudov's eye injury calls off the battle in Quebec

Guido Vianello [left] honors a clear triumph as the swollen eye of Arslanbek Makhmudov [right] causes a stop in the eighth round /

By Mohamed Bahaa

Overcoming Arslanbek Makhmudov in a demanding and tactical fight on Saturday in Quebec City, Canada, Guido Vianello made a turning point in his heavyweight career. The ringside doctor called for an end to the fight at the opening of the eighth round after the Italian boxer outmaneuvered the slower Makhmudov, finally forcing a stoppage owing of considerable swelling around the left eye of the Russian fighter.

The damage first showed itself in the third round, with Makhmudov's eye swelling. The swelling had progressed toward his brow by the sixth round, seriously affecting his vision. Makhmudov passed many finger-based inspections, but the doctor finally decided it would be unsafe for the bout to go on, therefore referee Albert Padulo Jr. stopped the battle on medical advice.

Though he had recently lost, Vianello (13-2-1, 11 KOs) came into the ring with fresh confidence. His performance captured his development as a fighter, especially following his tight split decision loss against Efe Ajagba in April, a battle where he exceeded expectations. Makhmudov (19-2, 18 KOs) meanwhile battled to find his rhythm in this co-main event under the headline bout between Christian Mbilli and Sergiy Derevyanchenko at Centre Videotron.

Using his agility and better boxing technique to keep the 6-foot-6 Makhmudov off balance, Vianello won every round of the bout. The diverse strikes and smart footwork of the Italian left Makhmudov unable to launch a strong offense. The circumstances got worse for the Russian fighter since his eye started to swell in the third round, which made it more and more difficult for him to see Vianello's strikes.

With a more forceful approach, Makhmudov tried to overwhelm Vianello; but, "The Gladiator" skillfully avoided damage by moving to his right and landing punches from angles Makhmudov couldn't predict. Makhmudov looked toward his corner, perhaps looking for a way out, and by the fifth round his worsening vision and increasing irritation were clear.

In the sixth round, Vianello's right uppercut landed on Makhmudov's injured eye, clearly hurting him. Both combatants got warnings for aggressive techniques in the clinches as the battle got increasingly physically demanding. Makhmudov lost a point for pushing with his forearm, and by the end of the round, Vianello's fast combinations had further weakened his opponent.

Vianello knocked down Makhmudov's glove in the seventh round, but the referee missed it. The glove hit the canvas just momentarily. Not too long afterward, Makhmudov was driven against the ropes with a strong combo, indicating to everybody that the struggle was almost over. Makhmudov responded to the doctor's inspections, but it was obvious that carrying on the battle would be risky and result in the eventual stoppage.

With his only two losses being a split decision and a technical stoppage in battles where he was highly competitive, this triumph signals a major turning point for Vianello, who at 30 is now positioned as a rising contender in the heavyweight class. On the other hand, Makhmudov's future as a heavyweight prospect now seems uncertain since this loss calls into doubt his viability at the highest level of the sport.