By Alexey Sukachev and Yuri Tarantin (Allboxing.ru)
According to Allboxing’s Yuri Tarantin, highly ranked cruiserweight contender Grigoriy Drozd (36-1, 25 KOs) might be the next guy in line for a shot at the EBU 200lb crown, presently owned by the Polish fighter Mateusz Masternak (30-0, 22 KOs), 26. This clash can be a part of the huge show, planned for October 5 with a mega-headliner in Wladimir Klitschko vs. Alexander Povetkin, which will also include comebacks of two other heralded Russian cruiserweights Denis Lebedev and Rakhim Chakhkiev, who both recently lost via stoppages in their title match-ups.
WBC #6, WBA #8 and IBF #9 Drozd, 33, is a perennial cruiserweight contender for almost ten years. His breakthrough fight came in April 2004, when he scored a road stoppage of former title challenger Saul Montana in Inglewood. He also holds wins over Darnell Wilson, Pavel Melkomyan, Laudelino Jose Barros, Richard Hall and Jean-Marc Monrose, with the only loss to Firat Arslan in the WBA eliminator seven years ago.
Drozd is 3-0 in 2012, following two and a half years of virtual inactivity.
However, according to Sauerland Event, Masternak’s plans can be different. The Polish Master, rated #3 by the WBC and IBF, #6 by the WBA and #7 by the WBO, is said to fight next on September 7 in Fredrikshavn, Denmark, against dangerously punching WBA #8 upset artist Youri Kayembre Kalenga (16-0, 10 KOs). The latter is coming off a sensational second-round TKO of previously unbeaten 20-0 Georgian Yago Kiladze on June 8. Kalenga vs. Masternak can be a part of a Danish doubleheader, consisting of Patrick Nielsen’s bout with Patrick Majewski and multititle female unification between undefeated Cecilia Braekhus and Oxandia Castillo.
