By Gregory Stangrit, Alexey Sukachev
According to promoter Andrei Ryabinsky of World of Boxing, the event on May 21 at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow, Russia will still go forward as planned.
The card suffered a huge blow when the main event fell out earlier today. Deontay Wilder was scheduled to make a mandatory defense of his WBC heavyweight title against Alexander Povetkin.
The World Boxing Council officially postponed the fight after Povetkin failed a pre-fight drug test. The sanctioning body will now conduct an investigation.
Ryabinsky is now re-shuffling the card, with a very tasty cruiserweight unification being moved up to the main event position.
Denis Lebedev (28-2, 21 KOs) and Victor Emilio Ramirez (22-2-1, 17 KOs) will collide in an IBF/WBA unification showdown.
Also on the card, up and coming Russian light heavyweight prospect Dmitry Bivol (6-0, 6 KOs) will have a chance to get a version of his first major belt, when he takes on Dominican Felix Valera (13-0, 12 KOs), who holds WBA Interim light heavyweight crown.
Another rapid bloomer Umar Salamov (15-0, 12 KOs), who is rated #9 by the WBO, will be pitted against experienced British fighter Bob Ajisafe (16-2, 7 KOs) in the toughest fight of his career so far.
WBC #10 rated 200lber Dmitry Kudryashov was 18-0, 18 KOs, when he ran into relatively undistinguished Nigerian Olanrewaju Durodola last November, and the terror of the division suffered a bitter setback, being blitzed in two. After somewhat intensive training sessions in the States Kudryashov is getting back against Brazilian veteran Julio Cesar Dos Santos (30-5, 27 KOs) in a scheduled ten-rounder.
Former IBO and EBU champion Rakhim Chakhkiev (24-2, 18 KOs) is also getting back. On the same card, where Kudryashov was stopped standing by Durodola, Chakhkiev lost his title to another Nigerian Ola Afolabi on a brutal kayo, his second career. Now WBC #14 Chakhkiev will see action over ten rounds against Tamas Lod (18-6).
WBA #10 and WBC #13 super middleweight Dilmurod Satybaldiev (10-1, 2 KOs) will risk his WBA Continental title for the second time, while WBA #4 super middleweight Stas Kashtanov (34-2, 20 KOs) will be featured in a non-title eight-rounder.
Rounding up the card are cruiserweight Alexey Papin (2-0, 2 KOs) and former female amateur superstar Sofya Ochigava, who will make her pro debut. Papin will see action over eight rounds against Yuri Bykhovtsev (9-8-2, 5 KOs) of Belarus. Former two-time world and three-time European amateur champion Ochigava, who also holds a silver medal of 2012 London Olympics, will be showcased in a four-rounder against Firuza Sharipova.
Gregory Stangrit covers boxing for Allboxing.ru.
