By Alexey Sukachev

Salle Dubois-Crance, Charleville-Mézières, Ardennes, France - With a couple of champions (Grigory Drozd and Denis Lebedev) and sveral promising contenders/prospects (Rakhim Chakhkiev, Murat Gassiev, Dmitry Kudryashov) cruiserweight is considered to be Russia's most defended stronghold. Light heavyweights are nearing on, however. Sergey Kovalev defends his belts later tonight against Jean Pascal, while young guns Artur Beterbiev, Vasily Lepikhin and Yegor Mekhontsev, the latter two also fighting today, are making of a good support mixture.

Now a new face is entering the mix in European 175lb champion Igor Mikhalkin (16-1, 9 KOs) who has just stopped Frenchman Hakim Chioui (31-4-1, 19 KOs) within nine rounds in the initial defense of his belt.

Mikhalkin, now 29, started fighting as a pro in 2007 and racked up eleven wins before running into much more experienced Pole Aleksy Kuziemsky in May 2010. Mikhalkin was out of the ring for more than two years after that but made a successful comeback with four wins, including a victorious rematch against dangerous Frenchman Doudou N'Gumbu and a winning effort against Mohammed Belkacem for a vacant EBU title the last year.

Chioui, a former French champion, was shot down every time he tried to step up, twice being stopped in seven by journeyman Johnathan Profichet and once - by world-rated Nadjib Mohammedi. He was 6-0 (all wins on points) coming into a fight with Mikhalkin.
Mikhalkin started confidently but cautiously, slowly working his way into the fight. He was pressing the action but slowly, allowing Chiou to be mildly successful with his boxing kills early on. However, Chioui's temperament was ahead of him, provoking heated encounters and vicious exchanges. Mikhalkin looked superior there, using his sturdy chin and subtle moves to absorb more punishment than the Frenchman. The Russian started to break his for apart in the third, landing more, going throw numbers of light and ineffective blows by Chioui to land really meaningful punches. Mikhalkin's southpaw stance was also his big advantage, making Chioui uncomfortable in the ring.

Mikhalkin's real success came in the closing seconds of the fourth, when he rocked and dropped Chioui with a left hand. The challenger produced hi best round in the fifth, matching Mikhalkin's determination with his own speed and power. That was his last success. He was rocked again and dropped in the corner late into the sixth- this time with a right hand, and then continuously dominated for the next couple of rounds. Finally, Mikhalkin thrusted and gave Chioui terrifying beating in the opening round of the ninth, putting him face-first to the canvas with a finishing one-two. Time was approximately 1:00 of the stanza. Chioui is coming back to the third-tier echelon, while IBF #8 Mikhalkin establishes himself as a new player in the light heavyweight division.

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Frenchman light heavyweight Patrick Bois (14-3-1, 3 KOs) has narrowly outboxed continentally known Latvian journeyman Arturs Kulikauskis (15-23-1, 7 KOs) over six rounds with a unanimous decision.

The Latvian boxed well and gave his all but it wasn't enough to get a win. Kulikauskis has previously upset former two-time world title challenger Yuri Barashyan and reigning WBA interim cruiserweight champion Youri Kalenga - both on points in 2013.