Juergen Braehmer vs. Robin Krasniqi: Winner, Scorecard and Analysis

Juergen Braehmer (46-2, 34 KOs) successfully defended his WBA light heavyweight title and unbeaten streak against compatriot Robin Krasniqi (43-4, 16 KOs) in Rostock, Germany, as the challenger retired before the 10th round after a dominant performance from Braehmer.

The 36-year-old won nearly every round and had Krasniqi on the ropes in the ninth, at which point victory seemed all but certain. In the end, the fight was scored as a TKO one second into the 10th.

Nathan Cleverly had been talking about this fight for days and sat in with Sky Sports for the broadcast of the fight, inviting speculation he might be in line to go up against the veteran Braehmer at some point in the future:

Braehmer predictably came out firing, using his jab and fantastic footwork well and getting close early. As a southpaw, his left hook got inside easily against the less mobile Krasniqi, who was careful not to over-commit in the first round.

The second round couldn't have been any more different. Twice Krasniqi shocked the Rostock crowd and Braehmer with big shots, a strong left hook and a swinging right to the body. Braehmer answered, however, stunning Krasniqi with a minute left in the round.

Krasniqi survived but his legs clearly locked up, and fightnews.com also noticed he was at the very least staggered:

Boxing360 saw the same thing:

The duo slowed down slightly in the third round, but again, with 30 seconds left, Krasniqi rocked Braehmer with a good right hand. This time, the veteran bounced right back and launched his opponent into the ropes, firing a combination at the body.

Boxing Wales noticed the younger Krasniqi had yet to throw a single bomb with his left, using it only to jab and open space for his right:

Braehmer continued to dominate the exchanges, showing his superior hand-speed, but the big punches all belonged to Krasniqi. The fourth round was a perfect example: One big uppercut and a nice shot to the body visibly shook Braehmer, who landed twice as many punches but hardly registered.

The power didn't seem to bother Braehmer all that much, however, and his feet looked just as fresh at the start of the fifth as they did before. A strong left hook saw Krasniqi back into the ropes, but the following flurry was wild and missed the mark.

Boxing Wales' Dewi Powell reminded fans Braehmer is known for his fast starts, not his strong finishes:

By the sixth round, Braehmer's power punches looked like they were starting to take their toll. Krasniqi clinched every time he got hit, opened up a chasm of space and limited his combinations to two punches to avoid getting hit on the counter.

Krasniqi changed tactics in the seventh, finding some success by going back to the body and getting close to Braehmer. The veteran has naturally heavy hands but is used to having room to swing, and in the seventh, that just wasn't the case.

This fan liked what he was seeing:

The ninth turned into a huge round. Braehmer pushed the action early before Krasniqi turned it around, landing a few big punches of his own. A right hook threw him into the ropes, however, and the 27-year-old's knees were gone. He somehow survived the count and the round, but after sitting down, he wouldn't get up again for the 10th.

Cameras revealed a big cut, but rather than award the victory through medical stoppage, the official called it a TKO. Fellow light heavyweight contender Enzo Maccarinelli was still very impressed with the Kosovo-born challenger:

Krasniqi showed his quality and did excellent work in many of the rounds, but in the end, Braehmer's left shook him up too many times and saw him lose plenty of ground on the cards. Krasniqi couldn't hurt the champ, while Braehmer kept dishing out until his opponent simply couldn't take any more.

In many ways, the fight played out like Braehmer himself predicted, via Sky Sports:

"

Krasniqi is a young ambitious fighter who wants to take my title away from me, but that’s not going to happen. “As always, I will defeat my opponent and retain my title.

Sometimes a single punch is all it takes. Whether this comes in the first round or twelfth round, it’s impossible to predict at this level. But when the opportunity does come, I will take it.

"

Boxing writer Ryan Bivins is already thinking of a meeting between Braehmer and Cleverly. Appearing on Sky Sports' official broadcast of the fight, the Welshman confirmed he would take that challenge:

"

Juergen Braehmer vs Nathan Cleverly for the regular WBA light heavyweight title tentative for September. #boxing

— Ryan Bivins (@sweetboxing) March 21, 2015"

Cleverly seems like a logical next opponent for the veteran, who looked just a step slower on Saturday, but speaking to German media after the fight, he indicated talks were already being held with "The WBC champion," meaning Adonis Stevenson. As reported by Spox.com's Bastian Strobl, he also mentioned meeting Carl Froch at a lower weight.

Wales would love nothing more than to see Braehmer and Cleverly in the ring together, although a rematch with Maccarinelli is also an option. A unification bout with Stevenson would undoubtedly be the biggest draw, although punters likely wouldn't venture anywhere near the 36-year-old Braehmer. 

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