By Cliff Rold

32-year old Heavyweight Malik Scott (35-0-1, 12 KO) went ten rounds for the first time since 2007 on Saturday night at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, New York and appeared to do more than enough to win.  Two of three judges disagreed, the bout ending in a split draw to allow 28-year old Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov (14-0-1, 10 KO) of New Jersey to escape with his mark still unblemished.

Both men came into the ring in good shape, Scott at 225 ¾ and Glazkov at 220.  The referee was Eddie Claudio.

It was Glazkov on the front foot as the fight got underway but Scott wasn’t shy when firing, snapping the jab.  Both men exhibited sound defense in using the gloves to pick off shots, each finding holes for sneaky left hook leads.  In the final thirty seconds of the first, Scott’s began to mix his jab up to the head and body, landing it well.

Scott landed a right early in the second and Glazkov responded with a pair of hard shots to the head.  Scott immediately went back to the jab.  Glazkov pressed and walked into a hard left.  Glazkov tried a left to the body but Scott blocked it with his elbow.  Moments later, he slipped three Glazkov shots on the ropes but took a right to the head in a short clinch.  Glazkov landed a stiff short left in the final minute but could find little else.

Round three played out much as the first two had, the longer and quicker Scott dictating the action with his jab.  Steadily pressing, Glazkov stayed close but found it difficult to land clean as Scott used his head well to avoid shots when he was in range.  In the late going, Scott nailed Glazkov with a right off the jab.

Glazkov landed more in the fourth as both men got their leather in.  Scott grew cocky, taunting Glazkov in spots and waving him in as he lay against the ropes.  In one instance, he used the ploy to block a shot and explode off the ropes with a landing double left hook.

Using his jab less, Scott appeared to slow in the fifth and relied on too many awkward, wide lead shots.  The sturdy Glazkov went to the body well and his shorter left hooks won out in the exchanges.  Scott had his best success in the round with lefts to the ribs.

Both were digging downstairs in the first minute of the sixth, Scott also landing a hard right uppercut to the head.  Glazkov landed a left and right as Scott was along the ropes, the American tying up right away.  Across the ring they went, settling again on the ropes where Glazkov landed a right and took a left to the body.  Both men landed in close quarters, with Scott also landing to stiff rights to the face.     

Round seven was a clinic for most of three minutes in favor of Scott.  Using his jab more than he had in the couple previous rounds, Scott landed more and made Glazkov miss with regularity upstairs.  Glazkov still found the body and did manage a noticeably cuffing shot to the head in the closing moments of the frame.

The lead left hook was a flashy weapon for Scott in the eighth, sure to catch the eye as it landed seemingly whenever he wanted.  Taunting again off the ropes, Glazkov was undeterred and kept grinding, digging shots to the body.  The defensive puzzle in front of him remained unsolved.

While round eight was fairly close, round nine was anything but.  As he had all night, Scott slid his feet between orthodox and southpaw stances, blocking, slipping, and rolling to keep Glazkov from landing solid while responding with the cleaner, more clear puncher.

Appearing to need a knockout to win, Glazkov remained aggressive in the final round.  It worked for him, Glazkov landing some harsh uppercuts to go with some straight rights to the head.  Scott boxed like he felt he had it in the bag and Glazkov took advantage to close with a winning three minutes.  Scott seemed to have a lead but the judges had yet to weigh in.

Two of the judges got it wrong.

The final scores came in at 98-92 for Scott, 96-94 for Glazkov, and an even 95-95.  BoxingScene scored the bout 97-93 for Scott.  A draw was head scratching.  A score for Glazkov was laughable.

Glazkov, interviewed after the fight through an interpreter, stated he felt he won and that Scott had run in the fight.  Scott responded strongly to the accusation.  “I don’t run.  I’m a boxer,” stated Scott who further added that it was Glazkov’s job to stop him if he was in a small ring.

Glazkov didn’t come close to doing that and often couldn’t find Scott standing right in front of him.  At the end of the night, two Heavyweights remained unbeaten.  Only one left the ring with the look of a contender.

At 32, Scott can’t afford to waste any more time in attempting to make good on that look.  

UNDERCARD RESULTS BY BILL EMES

In a very tough and active fight, junior welterweight Chris Algieri (16-0, 7KOs) won a ten round unanimous decision over Jose Peralta (10-2, 6KOs). The scores were 96-94, 97-93 and 98-92.

Issouf Kinda (15-0, 6KOs) knocked out Javier Loya (7-2, 6KOs) in two rounds. A brutal knockdown and then a big finish in the second.

Alan Gotay (4-0, 2KOs) won a four round unanimous decision over Micah Branch (1-4-1). The scores were 38-37 by all three judges. Branch was ushing the tempo and landed the clearner shots, but Gotay's boxing skills prevailed.

Junior welterweight Karl Dargan (12-0, 6KOs) won a close six round split decision over Ramesis Gil (8-6-5, 5KOs). The scores were 58-56, 57-56 for Dargan and 57-56 for Gil.

In the opening fight of the night, junior welterweight Justin Johnson (5-4, 0KO) won a four round unanimous decision over previously undefeated prospect Anthony Karperis (3-1, 2KOs). Karperis was down twice in the first round.