By Alexey Sukachev
While Russian pro boxing is still on vacation with no significant tournaments being pre-planned till the mid-Fall, Ukraine will play it big at the end of August and at the very beginning of September. Three top promotional companies of the state will stage three sound boxing events in three different yet major cities, so that fans will have a chance to see at least half of Ukrainian pugilistic elite and to compare three rival powers in a short span of time.
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On Aug. 28, newly-unified Elite Boxing Promotion (which has recently been created from an older company of the same name and what was previously known as National Boxing (and then K2 East) Promotions) will try to please Kiev citizens with a bang at Independence Square. This event will see a long-awaited comeback of former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko (21-2-2, 7 KOs) after back-to-back losses to then-champion Anselmo Moreno in 2008 and 2009.
2000 Sydney Olympics flyweight bronze medalist, 33, will go down in weight to meet Tanzanian veteran Mbwana Matumla (19-4, 11 KOs), 35, for what is billed as a collision for a vacant WBC International super flyweight title (EBP official portal, however, lists as something called WBC Silver International belt). Sidorenko had previously defeated four former world champions, including Julio Zarate, Leo Gamez and previously undefeated Joseph Agbeko and Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym. Matumla, on the other hand, has his share of notable in the ledger.
In a main support-bout of the evening, two featherweights collide in a cross-roader when Timur Akhundov (11-2, 4 KOs) takes on ex-super bantamweight Mamed Yadgarov (15-5, 9 KOs) over ten rounds of action. Talented cruiserweight Dmytro Kucher (9-0, 8 KOs) faces Ugandan upset master Joey Vegas (11-5-1, 4 KOs) over eight. Junior welterweight Victor Postol (10-0, 7 KOs is scheduled for eight against British journeyman Jay Morris (12-15-1, 3 KOs). In a six-rounder, Kiev-based Russian heavyweight Nikolay Israelyan (5-0, 4 KOs) tests his skills against Georgian Paata Berikashvili (7-8-1, 5 KOs). Finally, debuting heavyweight Vitaly Kosak is penciled for four against Hor Badalian (0-1).
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Two days after Donetsk-based Union Boxing Promotion comes back to home with one of its biggest tournaments in history, which will see 13 fights in total, including 6 minor title contests and a world championship contest as the main event. The entire scene will be set in open-air mode and will be held at Lenin Square.
In what clearly will be the featured bout of the night, WBA welterweight champion Vyacheslav Senchenko (30-0, 20 KOs), 32, finally makes his second defense of the belt against determined WBA #12 challenger Charlie Jose Navarro (18-3, 13 KOs), 30, of Monagas, Venezuela. Local favorite Senchenko wrestled his “regular” title off former WBA champion and fellow compatriot Yuri Nuzhnenko in last April. He defended it once – against Japanese Motoki Sasaki – before being claimed the only WBA titlist after Shane Mosley’s decision to fight Floyd Mayweahter. Navarro is best known for his losses (not for his wins against non-descript opposition) to Sebastian Lujan, Miguel Callist and Javier Mamani. Renowned American referee Steve Smoger will be the third man in the ring.
In a co-featured bout of the night, WBC/WBO #5 and IBF #13 European featherweight champion Oleg Yefimovich (18-1, 11 KOs), 29, will try to overcome Sofiane Takoucht’s resistance to retain his EBU crown for the fifth time. 24-year old Frenchman Takoucht is 19-1, with 9 KOs, albeit against by far less stellar opposition than that of Yefimovich. Both Senchenko and Oleg have been recently trained by no other than Freddie Roach himself. The legendary coach will work both Vyacheslav’s and Yefimovich’s corners on hot Monday night.
WBA #14 super middleweight Server Emurlayev (17-0, 5 KOs) will put his EBA (European Boxing Association) title at risk against little-known Spaniard Blas Miguel Martinez (12-1, 4 KOs) of Mohlin, Switzerland. Emurlayev got his WBA rank when he defeated Germany-based Cameroonian Bernard Donfack for a vacant EBA title in February.
Two undefeated fighters will collide when fly-fisted Belgian Tarik Madni (14-0, 0 KOs) takes on local southpaw boy Vladimir Kravets (22-0, 14 KOs) for a vacant IBC light welterweight title. Madni has just one win over a fighter with a positive W/L balance but Kravets’ record isn’t particularly impressive as well.
Albanian Suat Laze (17-2-1, 6 KOs) will oppose local veteran Stanislav Merdov (30-7, 23 KOs) for a vacant EBU-EE featherweight title. Cruiserweight Yago Kiladze (14-0, 10 KOs) will risk his WBC Youth I/C belt against Latvian Arturs Kulikauskis (7-3-1, 4 KOs). Finally, Ihor Fanian (9-1-1, 6 KOs) and Artem Karpets will contest for a vacant Ukrainian light middleweight belt.
Aside title fights, two more notables will also see action in the undercard. Well-known lightweight Andrey Kudriavtsev (33-7, 14 KOs) is set for six against Uzbek Dilshod Abdullaev (7-6, 3 KOs). WBO #11 and WBC #18 super middleweight Stanislav Kashatanov’s opponent for a pre-penciled eight-rounder is still to be defined. The main part of the show will be called by famous ring announcer Michael Buffer. Watch the promo of the tourney here.
Other fights:
Middleweight (6 rounds): Ruslan Schelev (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. TBA
Super Middleweight (6 rounds): Artem Redko (17-2-1, 9 KOs) vs. Merdjidin Yuseinov (2-6-1, 1 KO)
Super Flyweight (4 rounds): Olexander Grischyuk (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Fikret Remziev (4-11, 3 KOs)
Super Bantamweight (4 rounds): Olexander Yegorov (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Hussein Husseinov (2-8, 1 KO).
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At the end of the same week, K2 Ukraine promotional group (a newly formed company ruled in principles by Klitschko Brothers and effectively governed by general director Olexander Krasyuk) will load its card as well. The show will be held at Dniepropetrovsk and will contain at least one important match-up.
That match-up will be a fight for the WBO I/C title, currently owned by Ukrainian Maksim Bursak (20-0-1, 8 KOs). WBO #3 and WBA #14 Bursak, 26, will have his hardest career test in upset-minded American brawler Bryan Vera (17-4, 11 KOs), 28, who is best known for his kayo wins over highly regarded Andy Lee (an only career loss) and recently Sebastian Demers. Bursak biggest victory came this April against German Marco Schulze. In preparation for this fight Bursak was set for sparring sessions against talented prospect Edwin Rodriguez (16-0, 12 KOs) but the latter chose to get first things first and, according to some rumors, is currently preparing for his marriage.
Meanwhile, Bursak’s second sparring partner Frenchman Julien Marie Sante (23-2, 15 KOs) is already in Kiev helping Maksim to get ready for Vera fight.
In a co-feature, Ukrainian heavyweight Andriy Rudenko (18-0, 11 KOs) will make his return to the ring in an eight-rounder. Also scheduled to appear on the card are WBC #7, WBA #8, WBO #13 and IBF #15 light heavyweight Vitaly Rusal (26-1, 19 KOs), WBO #14 welterweight Valery Brazhnik (23-0-1, 16 KOs), WBO #14 junior welterweight Sergey Fedchenko (25-1, 12 KOs) and prospects Olexander Spirko (9-0, 5 KOs), Dmitry Semernin (4-0, 2 KOs) and Agali Alyshev (12-5-1, 9 KOs). An entire card will be loaded with a help of “Nemiroff” and “Inter” broadcasting company.
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Polish note
Promoter Tomasz Babilonski staged a little show at Amfiteatr in Miedzyzdroje, Poland, on Wednesday night. In a main event, former BBU International light heavyweight champion Pawel Glazewski (13-0, 4 KOs) got some more belts to his resume by outscoring Frenchman Abdelkader Benzinia (13-12, 4 KOs) over ten rounds. Benzinia was down in the second, in the fourth and in the tenth stanzas. Final scores were: 100-87, 99-88 and 99-88 – for Glazewski, who is now WBC Baltic interim and Polish International champion.
Also, unbeaten Krzysztof Szot (12-0, 3 KOs) decisioned Johnny Ibramov (7-4-1) unanimously over eight with the scores 78-74 (twice) and 77-75.
