Manuel Charr, the WBA’s ‘Champion In Recess’ at heavyweight, emerged from a 42-month break to bowl over cult favourite Christopher Lovejoy in two rounds at the Box Gym in Cologne on Saturday.
Lovejoy had arrived in Germany without a trainer, cut man or manager and in the midst of a legal dispute with veteran promoter Don King who tried in vain to block this fight citing a breach of contract.
The Las Vegas-based heavy had boasted a spotless 19-0, 19 KOs record that consisted entirely of off-tv fights in Tijuana, Mexico, and was a complete unknown quantity.
On fight night, it transpired that title holder Charr (32-4, 18 KOs) was a level or two above. After a volley of blows, a right hand dropped Lovejoy in a corner in the second where the bout was waved off to the delight of the German-based Syrian, who celebrated with a comically bad cartwheel amid surreal scenes.