By Alexey Sukachev (at the scales and in the city) / Photo: Union Boxing Promotion
Donetsk was once a mining town. Years have passed since its founding but, though this little settlement turned into Ukraine’s second-to-Kiev largest city, its unique spirit is still there. It soars high in the air but one can feel it every time he or she makes an especially deep breath or pays enough attention to what is going around. Tonight, Donetsk City Day combined with the Miner’s Day is what really drives an entire metropolis.
An impressive Rio-like parade through the central Artiom’s street pumped a noisy crowd up, while a remainder of passers-by was lit up with subsequent fireworks and various performances both before and after the parade. Popular local soccer team “Shakhtar” (which means “Miner” in Ukrainian) also made its impact by winning their home match in Ukraine’s national championship making Donetsk citizens almost wholly happy.
Nevertheless, the real show starts tonight when local company Union Boxing Promotion, ruled by Yuri Ruban, will stage its possibly largest ever tournament, which will see at least seven title fights plus five more non-title match-ups in an unprecedented (for Donetsk) nine-hour long non-stop boxing performance. The time of this event isn’t accidental. It’s coming just two days before Yuri Ruban’s 55th anniversary, which plans to be a major holiday for a number of local citizens and fans. All UBP fighters will have a chance to congratulate their boss by winning the bouts inside the ring. WBA welterweight titleholder Vyacheslav Senchenko (30-0, 20 KOs) will be one who is expected to present Mr. Ruban with the specifically valuable gift.
Senchenko, in the second defense of his title (Frenchman Souleymane M’Baye holds an “interim” version of the belt while Shane Mosley was a “Super Champion” before his loss to Floyd Mayweather at the very beginning of May) collides with determined WBA #12 Venezuelan Charlie Jose Navarro (18-3, 13 KOs). The Ukrainian fighter was getting ready for this clash with the help of renowned boxing teacher Freddie Roach, who will work his and Oleg Yefimovich’s corner on Saturday.
“Vyacheslav is a capable boxer with a great potential”, concluded Roach. “Senchenko is hundred percent ready for this test. We had taken a number of sparring sessions during Slava’s stand in Los Angeles – some of them were even tougher than a fight I can imagine tomorrow, so I’m ensured that he is fully prepared to his challenge. Vyacheslav looked great in his last training sessions and he is ready to deliver his A-game during the fight time. However, we don’t underestimate Navarro. I watched his tapes and I found he is a good boxer, a fast boxer and a terrific puncher. That surely won’t be a walk in the park for Senchenko."
"The Venezuelan will give us problems but we are ready to resolve all possible complications. I also hope that an outdoor arena will help us to excite crowd around the arena and that positive feedback will increase our own attitude inside the ring. I expect a strong support from the fans”.
“I’m fully content with my work with Freddie”, stated the WBA champion. “It’s hard not to be when you are being guided by the sport’s finest trainer. He gave me some invaluable experience and taught me a number of new tricks. I have a positive attitude. Though I’m preparing for a tough battle I know (deeply in my soul) that I’m a better boxer than Charlie. I want to defeat my opponent without any doubts in order to prove my handlers right and my critics wrong”.
“First of all, I want to thank God for giving me an opportunity to fight here, in Ukraine. I have no issues at all – neither physical nor psychological, and I’m ready to give Vyacheslav hell inside the ring. I know what Senchenko is all about as I watched his tapes and know his style of boxing. I’m confident that I’ll overcome his resistance to become a new champion”, said Navarro. “I had a lengthy training camp in various places both in Venezuela and abroad, which helped me to get into the best shape possible”.
Both pugilists conducted a media workout on Friday night. Today they met each other during the official weigh-in. Here are the results of the latter for all seven title fights:
1. Artiom Karpets (Ukraine, 10-0, 5 KOs) 153.3 vs. Igor Fanyan (Ukraine, 9-1, 6 KOs) 153
(For a vacant Ukrainian light middleweight title)
2. Stanislav Merdov (Ukraine, 30-7, 23 KOs) 126 vs. Suat Laze (Albania, 17-2-1, 6 KOs) 125.7
(For EBU-EE featherweight title)
3. Vladimir Kravets (Ukraine, 22-0, 14 KOs) 139.5 vs. Tarek Madni (14-0) 137.5
(For a vacant IBC light welterweight title)
4. Yago Kiladze (Georgia, 14-0, 10 KOs) 200 vs. Arturs Kulikauskis (Latvia, 7-3-1, 4 KOs) 187.5
(WBC Youth I/C cruiserweight title)
5. Server Emurlayev (Ukraine, 17-0, 5) 166.8 vs. Blas Miguel Martinez (Switzerland, 12-1, 4 KOs) 166.5
(EBA super middleweight titles)
6. Oleg Yefimovich (Ukraine, 18-1, 11 KOs) 125.5 vs. Sofiane Takoucht (France, 19-1, 9 KOs) 125.2
(EBU featherweight title)
7. Vyacheslav Senchenko 147 vs. Charlie Jose Navarro 146.5
(WBA welterweight title)
Well-known American referee Steve Smoger will be the third man in the ring during the world championship. He will be assisted by three judges at ringside positions: John Coyle (GB), Levi Martinez (USA) and Juan Manuel Garcia Reyes (Spain). Aside those officials a great share of renowned boxing personalities came in Donetsk to greet and to congratulate Ruban on their own; that includes – legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer, WBA European coordinator Bartholome Torralba, EBU president Bob Logist, officials Rex Walker, Esa Lehtosaari, John Keane, Terry O’Connor and Mikael Hook, 1988 Seoul gold medalist Vyacheslav Yanovskiy, top Panamanian promoter Carlos Gonzales and many others.
The show starts at 2 PM (LT) at the Lenin Square in the very center of the city; its title part begins at 5 PM LT. “The first National” TV channel starts its live broadcast at 9:45 PM.
