Brave Marcel suffers first loss in a thriller

Marcel Drzewicki receives post fight sympathy from Frazer Clarke

FOR Marcel Drzewicki, important lessons have to be learned after the Burton fighter lost his unbeaten record on Saturday night.

In something of an upset, the 23-year-old was outpointed over four rounds by Nabil Ahmed at Birmingham’s Eastside Rooms. Referee Chris Dean gave it to the visitor 39-37.

The pair produced a cracking, fight of the night scrap on Anthony Manning’s show. And Manning, who manages Drzewicki, should be praised for giving the public a 50-50 battle, rather than looking to pad Marcel’s record with victory over an unambitious journeyman.

I warned Ahmed, far better than his two wins in 48 fights suggested, posed a threat. I was right.

By the end, the Batley Bulldog was walking Drzewicki down before unloading heavy ammo. He was simply too strong and seasoned.

And as he left the ring, Marcel, a thoroughly likeable young man, admitted to me: “I think it was too much of step-up and cutting the weight also played a part.”

The crestfallen boxer, taking part in his third contest, was consoled at ringside by Burton’s most famous fighter, heavyweight Frazer Clarke.

I’ve said it before. Points defeat at the beginning of a career does not constitute a disaster – it can be beneficial. And Drzewicki learned more on Saturday night than he would’ve gained from five no risk outings.

The important thing is that mistakes are identified and ironed out. Marcel will be back, wiser and better.

Drzewicki’s performance has given his father and trainer, Lukasz, a former world class Polish amateur, plenty of food for thought.

Primarily, the coach will consider what weight his son should compete at. Marcel, tall, lean and sinewy, has been billed as a featherweight and scaled 8st 12lbs for this one. But the way he appeared to tire in the bout’s second half suggested he’d struggled to shed pounds.

He either did the weight wrong way or his body is finding it very hard to do. Lukasz was imploring him to keep the exchanges long: the drop in energy levels meant he was forced to punch it out.

Marcel’s features show the marks of a tough, uncompromising battle

We discovered Drzewicki has a lot of heart and that made for a sizzling battle. Yet even from the get-go he made the beginner’s mistake of fighting fire with fire when tagged, rather than use his feet and reach advantage.

It started brightly enough for the Beer Town hope who flashed out his jab and fired right to Ahmed’s body.

Ahmed (9st) beckoned Drzewicki in – he wanted him at close quarters – and Marcel responded aggressively in the second, letting both hands go.

That was a fine session, with Ahmed turning the screw as the seconds ticked away. For the first time Drewicki was forced on the retreat.

The third belonged to Ahmed. He weathered the early storm, then drove Marcel back with clubbing right hands. He looked the boss against a man whose face was showing the marks of a draining battle.

A meaty right connected early in the fourth as Drzewicki’s work became increasingly ragged.

He defiantly punched it out down the stretch but simply lacked the power to keep Ahmed at bay.

We live in an era in which preserving unbeaten records is considered paramount.  The reality is that every fighter will eventually taste defeat.

Drzewicki has tasted it early and should be consoled by the old timers’ motto: a loss is not a loss if you learn from it.