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A few days ago, former four division world champion Roy Jones Jr. (62-8, 45KOs) officially became a citizen of Russia. The 46-year-old veteran will have his fifth bout in Eastern Europe on December 12th in Moscow, when he faces former WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli of the UK. The decision by Jones to become a Russian citizen has caused a mixed reaction in the United States.
As recently reported, Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) would still make his light heavyweight debut on November 21st, as part of the Miguel Cotto vs. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez HBO Pay-Per-View undercard. As previously reported, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) rejected a proposed fight between Ward and Australian contender Rohan Murdoch. The NSAC felt the fight was too uneven with a huge gap in class between the two fighters and Murdoch was also required to face Ward at the light heavyweight limit of 175-pounds.
Former four division world champion Roy Jones Jr. disagrees with the 2013 format change by the Amateur International Boxing Association, which for the first time will allow professional fighters to compete in the Olympic games - starting with the 2016 Olympics. On March 23, 2013, the AIBA instituted significant changes to the sporting format - including the ability for pro boxers to be eligible to compete in men's Olympic boxing. Other changes included the elimination of headgear and the instant 10-point pro-style scoring system.
Russian heavyweight fighter Denis Boytsov, who is recovering from severe injuries, has successfully moved from a rehabilitation center in Berlin to a better clinic in Hamburg, according to the athlete's wife, Olga.
23-year-old Russian welterweight contender Konstantin Ponomarev (28-0, 13KOs) will be making his return on November 7th at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The card will be headlined by WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, who faces Brandon Rios in a bout topping an HBO televised card.
Tomorrow night at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, former world champion featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich (19-1-1, 9KOs) of Russia will return to the ring for the first time since losing his belt to Lee Selby on May 30th of this year. The card will be headlined by an HBO televised bout with WBO junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford making the first defense of his title against 33-year-old Canadian contender Dierry Jean.
Top Russian amateur Alexander Besputin, 24-years-old, has arrived in Los Angeles to prepare for his planned debut in the professional ranks. The talented welterweight was the 2012 champion in Russia and the European champion in 2013. In early October, Alexander signed a promotional contract with Top Rank. And his career is being guided by well-known manager Egis Klimas, who is working with such boxers as Sergei Kovalev, Evgeny Gradovich, Vasyl Lomachenko, Vyacheslav Glazkov, Alexander Gvozdyk, Dmitry Mikhailenko and several others.
Former WBA junior welterweight world champion Khabib Allakhverdiev (19-2, 9KOs) feels very badly about the way his training camp played out for the October 3rd bout in Cincinnati against former three division world champion Adrien Broner.
Aleksander Alekseev, former fighter and promoter for EC Boxing, says he is talking to promoter Yvon Michel of Canada to finalize the details of a final IBF light heavyweight eliminator between 30-year-old Russian contender Arthur Beterbiev (9-0) and his compatriot, also 30-years-old, Igor Mikhalkin (17-1), who holds the EBU title at 175.
World Boxing Association (WBA) "regular" heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev (34-2-1, 21KOs) is now setting his sights on a mandatory defense against Australian puncher Lucas Browne (23-0, 20KOs). The fight will take place in Moscow or Grozny, according to the champion's manager Timur Dugazaev.