By Lem Satterfield
Former titleholder Claudio Marrero meets Olympic silver medalist Tugstsogt Nyambayar in a battle that could produce "The boogey man at 126 pounds," according to manager Luis DeCubas Jr.
The 29-year-old Marrero (23-2, 17 KOs) fights the 26-year-old Nyambayar (10-0, 9 KOs) in a 126-pound eliminator for the right to face southpaw WBC champion Gary Russell (29-1, 17 KOs), doing so on January 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, as Premiere Boxing Champions returns to FOX (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT.).
The main event features WBA “super” welterweight champion Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) ending a 22-month, injury-caused ring absence in pursuit of his eighth defense against third-time title challenger Josesito Lopez (36-7, 19 KOs), but Luis DeCubas believes Marrero-Nyambayar could steal the show.
“Very few times do real contenders fight real contenders -- they’re always looking get a title shot without fighting anybody, but whoever wins this fight deserves to get a world title shot. This is a throwback to the days when two real contenders meet with the goal of fighting for a world title,” said DeCubas, who manages Marrero.
“Both of these guys are offensive machines, so I don’t know if this fight goes the distance. Marrero had a spectacular knockout in his last fight, and Tug had a brutal stoppage win, also. It’s a great fight for both guys as an eliminator that gets them closer to fighting for a world title, and in my opinion, the winner becomes the boogeyman at 126.”
A former champion from the Dominican Republic, Marrero won a clash of southpaws in April by 33-second stoppage over previously unbeaten Jorge Lara (29-0-2, 21 KOs) at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.
“The Matrix” turned his projected most difficult comeback into a Knockout Of The Year candidate, finishing Lara with a hybrid left cross-uppercut that crashed “Pilon” to the canvas and onto his left side in fetal position.
Lara rose on rubbery legs only to stubble to his buttocks, his back briefly against the ropes as the referee waved an end to the fight. Marrero hoisted himself onto a neutral corner turnbuckle, where he sat with both arms stretched skyward in celebration.
In victory, “The Matrix” ended the 27-year-old Lara’s pursuit of his 10th stoppage in 12 fights and his seventh inside of three rounds during that time.
Marrero announced himself a threat to Russell and champions Leo Santa Cruz (WBA), Oscar Valdez (WBO) and Carl Frampton (WBO interim), the latter of whom will try to dethrone IBF counterpart Josh Warrington on Saturday.
Marrero shared a common opponent with Lara in Jesus Rojas, a hammer-fisted Puerto Rican.
Marrero had won eight straight fights, five by knockout, before losing his interim world title in September 2017 by seventh-round stoppage to Rojas, who, in turn, had built momentum during a September 2015 six-round technical draw with Lara. But their fight was called before the seventh due to the Lara’s impaired vision from a cut over his left eye caused by a third-round clash of heads.
Rojas was Marrero’s first loss since falling by unanimous decision to southpaw Jesus Cuellar in an interim championship bout on August 2013. Marrero’s 90-second stoppage Carlos Zambrano had earned the WBA’s interim title in April 2017.
“I think Marrero 's the best featherweight in the world, and that his stoppage of Lara was the KO of the year,” said DeCubas. “Not only can Marrero beat Tug, but he can beat Gary Russell or Leo Santa Cruz or anybody in the division.”
Nyambayar rose from a first-round knockdown in May to secure his five-knockdown, third-round knockout of ex title-holder Oscar Escandon at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.
A Mongolian silver medalist in the 2012 Olympics, Nyambayar was dropped by the 33-year-old, 5-foot-1½ Escondon’s crisp left hook in the final 30 seconds of the first round.
But the 5-foot-8 Nyambayar’s searing right hands factored into each knockdown during his triumph over Escandon, who was floored once by Russell in his previous fight in May 2017 --- a seventh-round knockout loss.
Nyambayar was coming off an eight-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Harmonito Dela Torre, a 24-year-old who entered their November 2017 bout at 19-0 with 12 knockouts, and "King Tug" clobbered Escandon a week after Russell’s unanimous decision over previously undefeated Joseph Diaz in May.
Nayambayar landed a second-round left uppercut followed by a head-bobbling, right-left-right combination that floored Escandon with 45 seconds remaining. The Colombian rose only to hit the deck 19 seconds later from a blistering straight right hand but courageously survived the round.
Nyambayar’s overhand right dropped Escandon for a third time 35 seconds into the third round as did his straight right 22 seconds after that. Escandon used the ropes to climb to his feet before being leveled for the last time from a left-right combination, causing the referee’s stoppage at the 1:18 mark.
“King Tug” represents Mongolia’s biggest world title hope since Lakva Sim earned the WBA’s vacant 135-pound title via fifth-round TKO of Miguel Callist in April 2004 before being dethroned following a unanimous decision loss to then-unbeaten Juan Diaz that July.
“Tugstsogt is an animal," said DeCubas of Nyamabayar, who also declared himself ready for Russell, Santa Cruz, Valdez and Frampton. "As a pro, he’s never fought a southpaw, but you’ve got to remember that he’s a silver medalist who fought tons of southpaws as an amateur. This is the best fight no one is talking about, that’s for sure.”
