Ola Afolabi: record, next fight and profile →
Alexander Kalinkin is undeniably the face refereeing in Russian prizefighting. Having handled and also judged hundreds of fights across Eastern Europe, the former four-time USSR junior and youth national champion, now age 69, has enough experience to determine certain details almost instantly.
Opponents were announced for the stellar ledger of the World of Boxing fight card on November 4 in Kazan, Russia. WBC/TBRB #1 rated heavyweight Alexander Povetkin (29-1, 21 KOs), a mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight title, will look to stay in a tip-top shape against rock-hard Pole Mariusz Wach (31-1, 17 KOs). Povetkin is coming off the first-round TKO over Mike Perez in the final eliminator this May. WBC #13 Wach’s only loss came against Wladimir Klitschko on a one-sided unanimous decision in November 2012. The Polish fighter is 4-0, 2 KOs, since that loss and an almost two-year long PED-induced layoff after that. He defeated Konstantin Airich and Gbenga Oloukun in 2015.
BoxingScene understands that talks are underway between the representatives of Ola Afolabi, 21-4-4 (10), and Ovill McKenzie, 24-12 (12). The cruiserweights are in discussion for a summer showdown and hopefully there will be official news soon about the mooted 200lb encounter. If made, the bout could help Afolabi get right back into contention following April’s decision defeat to Victor Emilo Ramierz for the IBF's interim title. The 35-year-old has had a staccato schedule in recent years, fighting once thus far in 2015, once in 2014 and twice in 2013. You have to go back to 2011 to find a fairly active year for the former WBO interim titlist—three fights and three wins.
31-year old former WBO Cruiserweight titlist Victor Ramirez (22-2, 17 KO) of Buenos Aires, Argentina, didn’t fight for four years between a title loss to Marco Huck in 2009 and his return in 2013. On Friday night at the Villa La Ñata Sporting Club, Benavídez, Buenos Aires, Argentina, he made it seven wins in a row with a gritty unanimous decision over 35-year old longtime contender and former title challenger Ola Afolabi (21-4-4, 10 KO) of London, England. With the win, Ramirez picks up an interim IBF title in the 200 lb. division.
With reigning World cruiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez still sidelined from recurring injuries, Ola Afolabil and Victor Ramirez vie for an interim title, with the winner likely to face the hobbled cruiserweight king. The pair of battle-tested cruiserweights throw down Friday evening in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The weights are in and the stage is set for Friday's collision between the Latin cruiserweight champion of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Victor "El Tyson del Abasto" Ramirez, and former world champion Ola "Kryptonite" Afolabi. The two fighters will collide at the Villa La Ñata Sporting Club de Benavidez in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The fight will be televised live by TyC Sports in Argentina and throughout Latin America and the United States. Ramirez (21-2-0-1, 17 KOs) was a former world champion who lost his title in 2009 to Marco Huck. He took a few years off and returned in 2013 to build a six fight win streak. Afolabi has faced Huck three times in the ring, going 0-2-1. Afolabi (21-3-4, 10 KOs) is hungry to get another title shot.
With reigning World cruiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez still sidelined from recurring injuries, Ola Afolabil and Victor Ramirez will move forward with their interim title fight. The bout now has a date and home, as the two will clash on April 10 in Ramirez' backyard of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
With cruiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez sidelined with a right elbow injury, the IBF will do something that they rarely do. "It's one of the few times you'll see an 'interim' champion with the IBF. Hernandez couldn't do his mandatory with the additional medical extension time that we gave him so we ordered an interim title with the two highest guys, which is
IBF cruiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez has suffered an injury to his elbow and withdrew from the upcoming mandatory title defense against Ola Afolabi, scheduled for December 6 in Oldenburg, Germany. The card will still go forward with WBA light heavyweight champion Juergen Braehmer defending his title against Polish contender Pawel Glazewski. Sauerland Event is looking to push back Hernandez-Afolabi to the first quarter of 2015.
Venice, CA - Former multiple world title challenger OLA “Kryptonite” AFOLABI left Southern California last week in final preparations for his International Boxing Federation (‘IBF’) Cruiserweight World Title clash with champion YOAN PABLO HERNANDEZ set for Saturday, December 6th in Oldenburg, Germany. “I had been training for the last few weeks in Los Angeles but for the best sparring I came to Kiev, Ukraine to work with OLEKSANDR USYK in his camp” said the London born Afolabi who has compiled a record of 21-3-4 (10KO’s) during his distinguished career that began with no amateur bouts.