Shabranskyy Open To Facing Kovalev-Ward Winner, Stevenson

By Ryan Burton

Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Slava Shabranskyy (16-0) just finished up his training camp for his August 19th stay busy fight against Oscar Riojas (10-5-1). The fight headlines a card taking place at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles and will be televised live on Estrella TV.

He said that he had a couple hiccups in camp but overall it was a good camp and he is ready for Friday night.

"I am absolutely ready for the fight but I was a little unlucky with my sparring partners. I had only two sparring partners but they were both southpaws.  Overall though the camp was great and I am ready for Friday," said Shabranskyy who will be headlining his first card.

"I really love the audience here. When I enter the ring and hear the fans and the crowd, it is an adrenaline rush. I am very grateful they have accepted me here in LA in the boxing scene."

The 29-year-old Ukrainian has had his name linked to possible fights with former super middleweight champion Andre Ward in the past but deals were never consummated.  Ward will next take on WBA/WBO/IBF light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev on November 19th.

Shabranskyy said that he can't pick a winner in that fight.

"You know how boxing is. You never know how it will go. It is too hard to predict," said Shabrankskyy who made it clear that he wants a big fight in his next fight after August 19th.

Ward, Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson are considered the big three in the light heavyweight division and he said that he is willing to face any of them.

"If any of those guys will fight me I would take it as a complement," Shabranskyy told BoxingScene.com.

As for his nickname of Chingonskyy, Shabranskyy's translator, his wife Dina, had an interesting story on how the nickname which is a take on the Spanish slang word chingón (used mostly by Mexican and Mexican-Americans) which can be translated in English to "badass", came about.

"First he was offended because he didn't know what that means and then (his trainer) Manny (Robles) explained it to him. Oscar De La Hoya actually gave it to him.  When he came to sign his contract Oscar said your name is Shabranskyy but I will rename you to Chingonskyy and it just stuck."

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