Dejan Zlaticanin Eager To Establish Lightweight Dominance

By Jake Donovan

It will have been 52 full weeks between fights by the time Dejan Zlaticanin is set to return to the ring – and that’s assuming there are no more delays along the way. It’s been a long and frustrating road to the title for the unbeaten boxer from Montenegro, but there is light at the end of the title as he’s set to meet Italy’s Emiliano Marsili on June 11 at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.

The bout will serve as part of a Showtime-televised tripleheader. Also on the show, Ruslan Provodnikov makes his network debut as he takes on fellow super lightweight gatekeeper John Molina Jr., while super welterweights Demetrius Andrade and Willie Nelson collide in a super welterweight crossroads bout where the winner figures to land a title shot by year’s end.

Zlaticanin’s long awaited title shot was to come versus defending champ Jorge Linares, who withdrew from their tentatively scheduled springtime clash due to an injury suffered during training camp. He’d patiently waited since last June for a crack at the TV-friendly action fighter from Venezuela, but for now is grateful to just have an opportunity to fight for the crown.

“I don't care about that anymore, it's not important whether it Linares or Marsili in there,” Zlaticani (21-0, 14KOs) told BoxingScene.com. “I just want to make my dream true. I've dreamed to be WBC champion from the first time I entered in the gym. That's a dream of every boxer.”

In doing so, he faces a fellow unbeaten challenger in Marsili (32-0-1, 14KOs), a southpaw boxer who steps way up in class as he fights outside of Italy for the first time in his career. To his credit, he came up big against his most notable opponent to date, a 12-round decision over former titlist Gamaliel Diaz last August.

Zlaticanin is plagued only by inactivity, but is far more tested at the contender level.

An April ’13 win over Petr Petrov gained significance in retrospect when the Russia-bred, Spain-based boxer went on to win the ESPN2 Boxcino lightweight tournament a year later. Zlaticanin’s breakout performance came in a well-earned split decision win over former two-division champ Ricky Burns in June ’14 on the road in Glasgow, Scotland.

Two fights later came his biggest victory to date, a 4th round knockout of previously unbeaten Ivan Redkach last June in Birmingham, Alabama. The bout aired live on SHO Extreme as part of a lead-in program to a Showtime event headlined by Deontay Wilder’s knockout win over Eric Molina in the first defense of his heavyweight title.

Nearly a full year later, Zlaticanin returns to the American cable giant. While honored by the showcase and grateful to fight for the title, there is a bit of a letdown in his not getting to challenge the very best in looking to achieve a lifelong goal.

“I admit, I'm disappointed that a three division world champion like Linares is scared of me,” notes Zlaticanin, perhaps questioning the convenient timing of his reported injury.

Had the fight taken place in the springtime as targeted, it would have been for the vacant World (lineal) lightweight championship. Instead, the change of plans was just the latest roadblock in his career, one where he’s been become contender in waiting, forced to stay ready for when an opportunity finally surfaces.

Still, the prize that lies ahead justifies all of the hard work put in to lead to this moment.

“I'm always in good shape because boxing is my life and I want that green belt around my waist,” Zlaticanin insists.

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox