By Jake Donovan
To believe that Junior Wright is traveling abroad just to collect a paycheck would be to ignore the steps that led to his accepting a last-minute showdown with Rakhim Chakhkiev. The two are set to square off Friday evening in Moscow, in a fight that could lead to big things for the winner.
“Rakhim is a big name and I am very grateful to get this opportunity,” notes Wright (13-0-1, 11KOs), a Chicagoland cruiserweight who puts his unbeaten record on the line for his first trip overseas.
The fight came about after both fighters saw previously scheduled opponents fall by the wayside. Wright was to due to face Micki Nielsen earlier this month in Denmark, while Chakhkiev was slated to meet Italy’s Mirko Larghetti on this very show.
Wright’s trip to Denmark was canceled when Wright suffered an injury, but was able to put his passport to use when the call came for this fight.
“The fight with Chakhiev came a few days after my fight with Nielsen was called off. I was all ready in shape and came right back to the gym,” Wright said.
All things considered, the three-week delay and change in opponents and location could be a blessing in disguise.
“Nielsen is a good fighter but this is a bigger fight,” Wright believes. “My promoter (Star of David Promotions, headed by former junior welterweight contender Dmitriy Salita) kept me busy in the ring and worked hard to get these opportunities which don't come easy.”
Chakhkiev—a consensus Top 10 contender—is understandably the betting favorite, given his pedigree and the fact that the fight takes place in Moscow.
Just don’t expect it to faze Wright, who sees a win on Friday leading to fights against the division’s top players. Included on the list is reigning WBC cruiserweight titlist Grigory Drozd, who appears on this very same card in a defense versus Poland’s Lukacz Janik. Wright is even willing to return to Friday’s location if it means furthering his career.
“This is a big step for me; after this I want to fight Drozd and (WBA cruiserweight titlist Denis) Lebedev,” Wright states. “Russia has the best cruiserweights in the world. I plan on winning and coming back to Russia to fight other top cruisers.
“The accommodations and respect I got in Moscow is excellent I am grateful to World of Boxing so far my stay is excellent and the people have been nice and professional. After this fight, I want to fight the champions.”
Spoken like a contender who has more on his mind than just rolling over for an easy payday.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox