By Alexey Sukachev
Andrey Ryabinskiy, head of the “World of Boxing” promotional company and a newly born Russian boxing tycoon, announced the signing of 2008 Beijing heavyweight gold medalist Rakhim Chakhkiev (17-1, 13 KOs) in his interview with the “Izvestia” media outlet.
“We’ve struck a deal with Rakhim Chakhkiev. Rakhim is coming back on March 15 on the same card with Grigoriy Drozd. Two or three more fights will land on the undercard of the show”, said Ryabinskiy.
WBC #2 and IBF #5 Chakhkiev, 31, challenged WBC cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in June, dropped him hard in the third but then was knocked down himself several times en route to a crushing defeat (TKO 8). Rakhim got back to the winning column in a fight versus Romanian Giulian Ilie, whom he knocked out with seconds remaining in the ten-rounder. The fight was a part of Ryabinskiy-promoted huge boxing event, with Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin taking the central stage.
The signing was confirmed by Rakhim’s manager Vyacheslav Karakash.
