By Alexey Sukachev, Dmitry Mikhalchuk and Vladimir Begun Jr. (Allboxing.ru)
K2 Ukraine's web portal has finally started functioning. K2 Ukraine is a newly created (not surprisingly) Ukrainian branch of K2 Promotions, which is ruled by world heavyweight champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko. K2’s local filial is governed by director general Olexander Krasyuk. K2 Ukraine should be distinguished from K2 East Promotions, which has recently created an alliance with Elite Boxing Promotions.
The first event by the company will take place on June 26 at Sport Palace of Odessa. In a main event of the evening WBA #6 heavyweight Alexander Ustinov (20-0, 16 KOs) will clash against former European champion Paolo Vidoz (26-8, 15 KOs), 39, of Italy. The twelve-rounder is set for EBA heavyweight crown, currently owned by Ustinov.
“Vidoz is a boxer who never makes a step back. That’s his biggest strength but that’s also his most important weakness. I will make necessary adjustments to my strategy in order to use these features of Vidoz’s style in my favour”, declared 6’7’’ Russian native Ustinov, 33. “The Italian is a dangerous boxer, he had lots of fights. But I’m well prepared. I have been shaping up myself with the likes of Vyacheslav Glazkov and Andrey Rudenko, and I’m ready to deliver my best. My final goal is to become a world champion”.
In co-main event, WBA #9 European Boxing Association welterweight champion Victor Plotnikov (23-1, 11 KOs) will risk his title against Danish veteran Christian Bladt (35-10-2, 11 KOs). Plotnikov’s recent training session can be seen here.
The rest of the pre-planned list features several K2 Ukraine prospects in eight- and six-rounders. WBO #8 junior middleweight Dmitry Nikulin (20-0, 7 KOs) squares up to Tanzanian Karama Nyilawila (11-7-3, 6 KOs). Undefeated heavyweight Andrey Rudenko (17-0, 10 KOs) goes eight versus fragile Kenyan journeyman Raymond Ochieng (22-11-3, 18 KOs). In a heated super bantamweight match-up, Mamed Yadgarov (14-5, 8 KOs) collides with another Kenyan Sande Otieno (16-2, 7 KOs) in the toughest fight of his career so far. Super middleweight Alaudin Murtazaliev (11-2-1, 7 KOs) clashes against yet unbeaten Alexander Chervyak (8-0, 1 KO). Also on the card are local prospects Valentin Holovko (11-0, 6 KOs), Olexander Spirko (8-0, 4 KOs) and Artem Ayvazidi (8-0, 3 KOs). Tickets can be purchased by phone: +38 (067) 110-52-25. Show starts at 6 PM LT.
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WBA #11 heavyweight Denis Bakhtov (33-5, 22 KOs) is in anticipation of a fight against Ukrainian giant Alexander Dimitrenko (29-1, 19 KOs) for the vacant European (EBU) title. BoxingScene was advised by competent sources that the fight will most probably take place on July 31 in Germany and will be promoted by Universum Box-Promotion.
“I’m living in anticipation of this fight. To say I’m eager to fight Dimitrenko is an underestimation. I want it, man. I wish it really hard and I’ll be back to the squared circle with joy and gladness. However, the fight isn’t yet set for 100%. Negotiations are under way and I’ll know something for sure after the 21st of June”, revealed Bakhtov in his exclusive talk with Allboxing.ru. Denis is on a heat streak, having won his last nine including two stoppages of German prospect Steffen Kretschmann and hard-fought decision over Corey Sanders.
“Dimitrenko surely is a dangerous opponent. He is tall and physically he is very strong. And he has lost only once in his career. But that is what drives me on! I want to overcome him and to prove I’m stronger by being smarter. It’s only at the starters of your career when you can impose you size on your opponent. Intelligence is what makes you victorious further into your pro life. I think I’m smarter than Alexander and I know more tricks in the ring to overcome his resistance. I really wanna prove myself in it”.
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WBA #1 cruiserweight mandatory challenger Valery Brudov (38-2, 27 KOs) will make his next (sixth in a row) tune-up against veteran trialhorse Yuri Lunev (5-13, 8 KOs) on July 3 at SuperClub in Pskov, Russia. Local native Brudov last fought almost a year ago outpointing Bulgarian Yavor Marinchev over eight. In a disastrous turn of events, the former WBA interim champion’s overall record of opposition over the last three years is a horrible 46-77-4 with four foes out of five sporting losing records. Brudov is forced to be virtually retired by trying to get a long-deserved shot at title against reigning champion Guillermo Jones, who hasn’t fought for almost two years but hasn’t been stripped anyway. Interestingly, WBA interim title fight in this weight class will be conducted between Firat Arslan and Steve Herelius, thus omitting Brudov’s participation once again.
Also, on the card is another local boxer Andrey Bogdanov (11-1-1, 3 KOs) who will collide with veteran Andrey Kostin (20-15, 6 KOs) for a vacant Russian super bantamweight title.
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Sergey Stepkin of Union Boxing Management staged a tiny tournament on Sunday, June 13, in Klimovsk, Russia. The show was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the city. In a main event, local co-namer Andrey Klimov (9-0, 5 KOs) once again stopped journeyman Alexander Saltykov (8-22-3, 5 KOs) in the fourth, just three weeks after stopping him in Moscow. Also victorious was veteran Robert Dasoyan (15-7-4, 5 KOs) and prospects Alexey Makhnenko (8-1, 7 KOs) and Nikolay Potapov (3-0, 3 KOs). The biggest star of the tournament and dangerous upset specialist (wins over Michel Trabant, Cosme Rivera, Andrey Yeskin and Peter Semo) Roman Seliverstov (11-8, 2 KOs) took part in two heated exhibitions.
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Swiss-based Albanian Nuri Seferi (27-6, 18 KOs) will collide in a week with Prague-based Georgian Sandro Siproshvili (23-5, 10 KOs) over twelve for a vacant WBO European cruiserweight belt at Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. His younger brother Sefer Seferi (10-0, 9 KOs) clashes against Adnan Buharalja (21-8-2, 14 KOs) and Gogi Knezevic (18-2-1, 8 KOs) fights ever dangerous TBA in minor title twelve-rounders.
