‘We thought he nicked it’ – Belujsky unlucky in Sono
Team Valdimir Belujsky were left feeling somewhat sad for Big Bad Vlad after he suffered defeat in Sono, Brno on Monday night.
Coach Shaun Kelly and co felt the Micthelstown road warrior did just about enough to win a close, keenly contested and competitive fight.
As it was, the 28-year-old have gloves will travel puncher lost out to a 97-93 decision to hometown favorite Michal Ryba.
It’s one of the more frustrating defeats for a fighter happy to take his chances from the away corner, as it was a fight both he and Kelly felt he could win.
Indeed, it was a fight they believed they did win, although they didn’t protest the result.
“It was a good close competitive fight. I thought Vlad boxed the best he’s ever boxed,” Kelly told Irish-boxing.com.
“We were hoping he was going to win it 6-4 in the corner but we’d have understood 5-5. We knew he wouldn’t get the close rounds but we were hoping to nick it, we thought he nicked it.”
The reverse means Belujsky has lost five of his last six – albeit all from the away corner and against good opposition – but his coach was anything but downbeat.
Kelly is aware winning away from home is difficult and was more than pleased with the performance his charge put in.
“It was a hostile crowd and a strange atmosphere and when you go into a guy’s hometown it’s hard to win a close one,” he continued.
“I’m really happy with his performance because he put into practice a lot we were working on. Your man was tough and durable, no doubt about that, but I think we scored the better shots, landed the bigger shots but it just wasn’t to be.”
