by Tamas Pradarics
Fingers were crossed for undefeated middleweight prospect Walter Kautondokwa and his trainer/manager/promoter Nestor Tobias in the last couple of weeks as the Namibian team were on the run to secure a September world title bout against WBO champ Billy Joe Saunders.
The Brit was originally scheduled to face WBO interim titlist Avtandil Khurtsidze before the Georgian fighter’s unexpected incarceration by police last month. Most of the highly ranked contenders by the Puerto Rican-based sanctioning body were not interested in facing Saunders. That gave less celebrated pugilists a chance to gets picked by Billy Joe’s promoter, Frank Warren for the September 16 date.
Speculations ended on Thursday when they announced Saunders’ opponent will be #6 ranked former title challenger Willie Monroe Jr. That left the hard-hitting Kautondokwa empty-handed.
”I am not surprised, I can understand that it is difficult for anybody in the top 15 including the champion to say ’let me go and fight Walter and risk losing [my momentum and/or] my title’. I respect that thought because it is reality,” said a disappointed Kautondokwa to BoxingScene.com.
Nestor Tobias, who used to be a professional fighter himself in the 1990’s for over six years, knows how the business works. The promoter understands the decision of the Saunders camp though he admit decisions like this really shows something about the character of a champion.
”It determines what kind of champion you are: when you have the choice of selecting between an undefeated and dangerous opponent and one that has been defeated twice and you go for the easier one. Some champions will choose the most dangerous opponent to prove a point and allow the fight to bring out the best in them,” stated Tobias.
”Saunders is the champion and it is of course within his [and his team’s] right to select an opponent of their choice and also play it safe because Kautondokwa is understandably a risky and dangerous opponent for the champion.”
The next step would logically be to keep facing quality opponents on international level to get experience before the ultimate title fight. It is, however, quite problematic for the powerful Kautondokwa, who has too good skills and a way too unknown profile to a worthy combination for other highly ranked middleweights to meet him in the squared circle.
”We will keep Walter busy, but will now target fighters in the top 15. We have made so many offers to about 80% of the fighters in the top 15 and most of them turned down the opportunity to face Walter. If this continues, we will keep him busy with African opponents, and improve his ranking. They can avoid him now but not forever,” said the Namibian promoter.
Tobias also sends a message to Billy Joe and offers him to make decisions that could clarify his true image to the world of boxing.
”First we wish him all the best in his next fight against Monroe Jr and I also have a message to him. We have Kautondokwa who is eager to fight you, he is well conditioned, powerful and skillful; fighting him will prove your critics wrong from a point of view that you are perceived to always go for easy fights instead of tough ones. We will be watching your fight closely and hopefully we will fight you [next time around].”
You can reach Tamas Pradarics at pradaricst@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter at @TomiPradarics.
