Sergiy Dzinziruk-Pawel Wolak To Be Proposed To HBO

By Lem Satterfield

Promoter Gary Shaw informed BoxingScene.com, moments ago, that he was on his way to HBO's New York offices in an effort to propose the next defense for Ukrainian southpaw junior middleweight Sergiy Dzinziruk, likely opposite New Jersey contender, Pawel Wolak.

Shaw said that other considerations for the 35-year-old Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 knockouts) besides the 29-year-old Wolak (29-1, 19 KOs) include 30-year-old WBA junior middleweight super champ, Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs), and 25-year-old southpaw WBA regular titlist Austin Trout (22-0, 13 KOs).

Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum, who promotes Cotto and Wolak, told BoxingScene.com that he had been contacted regarding a bout between Dzinziruk and either Wolak or 29-year-old Vanes Martirosyan (29-0, 18 KOs).

But Shaw dismissed fights between Dzinziruk and Cotto or Martirosyan as being unlikely.

Dzinziruk is possibly going to return in an HBO televised fight in the summer, this, after having moved up to middleweight for his last ring appearance against 36-year-old, southpaw, WBC "emeritus" champion, Sergio Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs).

Dzinziruk was dropped five times before the fight was waved off in the eighth round. Dzinziruk was guaranteed a future date on HBO as part of his package to face Martinez, and could face Wolak, who is coming off the biggest win of his career -- a sixth-round stoppage of former WBA champion Yuri Foreman (28-2, eight KOs) also on March 12.

Shaw spoke to BoxingScene.com in this Q&A.

BoxingScene.com: I understand from Top Rank's Bob Arum that you are considering Pawel Wolak and Vanes Martirosyan among candidates who include Austin Trout among considerations to face Sergiy Dzinziruk?

Gary Shaw: Not Vanes. I wouldn't fight Vanes. But I would fight Pawel Wolak, Yes.

BoxingScene.com: Is Pawel Wolak among one of your top considerations, along with Austin Trout?

GS: Austin Trout is definitely up there. Pawel Wolak is definitely up there. Miguel Cotto is up there. But, you know, a Miguel Cotto fight is not going to happen.

BoxingScene.com: How far along are you in trying to make those fights, because Sergiy Dzinziruk-Pawel Wolak seems like an attractive fight?

GS: A lot of people would like to see that fight. That's a fight that a lot of people would like to see.

BoxingScene.com: What is your opinion of why people would want to see Sergiy Dzinziruk-Pawel Wolak?

GS: Look, with Sergiy Dzinziruk, everybody thought that his fight with Sergio Martinez was going to be an ugly fight. But Sergiy engaged Sergio Martinez, and that was something that nobody realized or expected could or would happen.

So, he showed that the pundits are not always right. So he will engage anyone. He's a very gutsy fighter with a lot of skills. But, you know, on that night, he was fighting out of his weight class.

But we tried it, and it didn't work out. That doesn't mean that we won't eventually go back there and try it again.

BoxingScene.com: Is Pawel Wolak the leading contender to face Sergiy Dzinziruk?

GS: Yes. But what is more accurate is that there really is no leading contender until HBO says who they are willing to buy. HBO is going to be the one that actually declares the leading contender.

We're willing to fight anyone, so it's not as if we're not willing to fight anybody and, then, suddenly, he can't fight this guy, or he can't fight that guy. We'll fight anyone. So, it's HBO's call, and that's the truth.

BoxingScene.com: Is it correct to say that you think that a Sergiy Dzinziruk-Pawel Wolak fight would be among the best that could be proposed and perhaps the most easily marketable of those being considered?

GS: No, I think that that's a fight that HBO would probably buy. They're the buyer, I'm the seller.

BoxingScene.com: When are you going to meet with HBO on this?

GS: I'm on my way there right now.