Marco Huck set to return on Saturday after four-year absence

Former cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck will snap a near four-year hiatus from boxing when he returns on Saturday.

Huck, who held the WBO 200-pound title for six years and made a record 13 successful defenses, will face Evgenios Lazaridis in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight contest at Estrel Convention Center in Berlin, Germany.

“Well, obviously four years is a long time not to compete,” Huck (42-5-1, 28 knockouts) told The Ring before explaining his absence. “I have had a fractured hand a few years [ago], followed by a few minor setbacks. Thankfully, I am healthy for the last couple years and the will to fight is still big, so I decided to come back. I still love boxing and the competition, which is most important.”

The 39-year-old veteran clearly still feels he has something to offer.

“I want my career to end worthy of a great champion,” he explained. “Furthermore, I see the competition in the heavyweights, I see the opportunity I have, provided I stay in the best mental and physical shape.”

And that begins against European stalwart Lazaridis in a fight that should give a barometer of what Huck has left in the tank.

“Evgenios is a good and experienced fighter who has fought a lot of top heavyweights,” said Huck. “I believe he is a good test for me at this point of my career.”

However, Huck isn’t getting too far ahead of himself and wants to see how things play out before naming particular targets.

“I plan from fight to fight now,” he explained. “I want to come back, win this one and keep on building. Hopefully, I will work myself back in the title picture.”

Huck punches Firat Arslan during their rematch in 2014, which would mark the 12th defense of Huck’s WBO cruiserweight title. (Photo by Martin Rose – Bongarts/Getty Images)

Huck sat for years at No. 1 in The Ring’s cruiserweight ratings, broken by a detour to heavyweight in which he lost a somewhat controversial decision to Alexander Povetkin. That position began to slide after a stoppage loss to Krzysztof Glowacki in 2015. He has shared the ring with a host of top fighters, is well-rested, and that should serve him well after some tough defeats at the hands of Mairis Briedis and Oleksandr Usyk, the latter during the 2017-18 World Boxing Super Series. If he is still able to compete at a good level, never mind world level, this writer believes that Huck could force a stoppage in the second half of the fight.

Lazaridis (19-5, 13 KOs) has been a professional since 2013. The Germany-based Greek won his first 11 bouts before dropping a close decision to Erkan Teper, and two fights later he was surprisingly stopped by Samuel Kadje in five rounds.

The 36-year-old got back to winning ways before losing to Agit Kabayel (UD 10), future European champion Oleksandr Zakhozhyi (KO 1) and the up-and-coming Mourad Aliev (UD 10). Those three losses have been interspersed with three first-round knockout victories in six-rounders.

Huck-Lazaridis will be broadcast on DAZN at 2 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT.

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].

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