Bryant “By-By” Jennings (24-2, 14 KOs) inched closer to his goal of fighting for a Heavyweight title in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, August 19, 2018 by beating Alexander Dimitrenko (41-4, 26 KOs) by TKO at 1:56 of Round 9.
A native of Philadelphia, Jennings walked through fire to top Dimitrenko, who was valued as a +1200 underdog by some sports books entering the contest.
The fight got off to an auspicious start for Jennings, who struggled with Dimitrenko’s size and aggression in early rounds. Dimitrenko, who was defending his IBF International Heavyweight title, sent Jennings to the canvas from an overhand right in Round 4.
Despite the knockdown, Jennings was able to right the ship as the fight progressed, absorbing Dimitrenko’s power punches but retaliating with crisp body work. Things came unraveled for the veteran German in Round 8, as Dimitrenko was floored twice from Jennings’ combinations.
Dimitrenko made it to the end of the eighth frame, but he wasn’t long for the fight. In the ninth round, Jennings snuck a sneaky uppercut through Dimitrenko’s guard, prompting the referee to immediately wave off the contest.
The victory was Jennings’ fifth in a row since his December 2015 loss to Luis Ortiz.
“I was prepared for a tough 12 rounds,” said Jennings after the victory. “I did what I had to do. I was in great shape. He’s a big dude. He’s not as slow as I thought. I made adjustments, and I got the job done.”
The stoppage was met with criticism on social media. Though Dimitrenko had suffered his third knockdown of the fight, he’d dominated large portions of the fight.
Dimitrenko also appeared to be off-balance at the time of the knockdown, and was willing to continue after hitting the mat (which he confirmed in the post-fight interview). Dimitrenko’s tough break is a major boon to Jennings’ career, as his chances at a future title shot are kept alive.
Wow! Four rounds after getting dropped, Jennings has his revenge. He planted the big man twice and nearly finished him. #JenningsDimitrenko pic.twitter.com/CUSb0qQh19
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 19, 2018
Jennings vs. Dimitrenko CompuBox Stats
All photos by Marilyn Paulino/RBRBoxing
