Friday saw Brisbane, Australia host a Heavyweight bout between local star Alex Leapai and American contender Malik Scott. In a match that was delayed a week and never aired on television as hoped, Scott put in a solid outing over 10 rounds to easily outpoint Leapai. The match was a near pick ’em fight when it closed at the sport books, with Leapai a slight favorite at (-130) and Scott kicking back (+110).
Leapai was returning to fight in Australia after getting obliterated by Wladimir Klitschko in his last outing. Leapai had a lot of incentive to win this fight as it was a potential set up for a decent payday against rising New Zealander Joseph Parker. That match may still come to fruition, but Leapai’s value heading into that match is diminished by this loss.
You can’t blame Leapai for thinking Scott (now 37-2-1) overall might be easy pickings, as Scott has really left a lot of questions to be answered, despite his gaudy record. A solid technical boxer who is not a huge puncher, Scott’s detractors point to a record with questionable competition levels. Even more troubling, since 2013 when he raised the level of his opposition, his results have been dismal, as a 1-2-1 record prior to this win shows. The lone win is over a fighter with a (7-13) overall record in a six rounder, so he has basically done nothing to impress in three bigger outings. His last outing he lasted all of 90 seconds against Deontay Wilder, and it raised question about his heart and drive to win as well.
Against Leapai, who is not the most feared heavyweight in the world, but is at least coming off a recent world title shot and has a pulse, Scott put together 10 rounds of solid boxing to win going away with the judges. His boxing skill has never been in question, as he is a strong technical fighter, and he clearly out-boxed Leapai, who was limited to looking for one big punch.
Check out clips of one of the pre-fight interviews featuring Leapai and Scott. We will see if Scott retires, as he promises to retire if he doesnt stop Leapai. Fascinating, as this win does set him up for another good payday.
