By Keith Idec
NEWARK, N.J. – Abel Sanchez respects Yunier Dorticos’ power.
Murat Gassiev’s trainer is looking forward to finding out how well Dorticos takes a powerful punch, though. Sanchez doesn’t think Dorticos’ chin has been tested the way the hard-hitting Gassiev will check it when they meeting in the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight semifinals sometime in January.
“I think [Dorticos] has to be confident,” Sanchez said following Gassiev’s third-round knockout of Krzysztof Wlodarczyk on Saturday night at Prudential Center. “I think both guys have to be confident going into this fight. But 25 guys now have tried with Murat and 25 guys have failed. So I don’t see anything in Dorticos that is gonna pose problems. Yes, he can punch, but so can Murat. Let’s see who can take one.”
Russia’s Gassiev (25-0, 18 KOs, 1 NC), the IBF champion, and Cuba’s Dorticos (22-0, 21 KOs), the WBA champion, have generated plenty of excitement entering their semifinal meeting by scoring sensational knockouts in the quarterfinals.
Gassiev got his win by whacking Wlodarczyk with a left uppercut to the head and a left hook to the body, which prevented Poland’s Wlodarczyk (53-4-1, 37 KOs) from continuing in the third round. Dorticos drilled Russia’s Dmitry Kudryashov (21-2, 21 KOs) with a right hand that ended their fight in the second round September 23 in San Antonio.
“I think it’s a great fight,” Sanchez said. “I think Dorticos has proven that he’s a heavy puncher. Murat is also. I think it’s a fight amongst the two best punchers in this tournament, maybe even the two best fighters in this tournament. We’re looking forward to it.
“Obviously, we’ll prepare a little bit different for Dorticos than we did for Wlodarczyk, but it’s the fight that’s next. I think Dorticos is looking forward to it, too. That’s the way it should be. The best should be fighting the best, and this tournament has given us that.”
The winner of the Dorticos-Gassiev fight will advance to the WBSS cruiserfinal final against whoever wins between Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs), the WBO champion, and Latvia’s Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs), the WBC champion.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.