By Elliot Foster, photo by Ed Mulholland
Daniyar Yeleussinov will make his UK debut in a couple of months’ time after getting his career in the paid code off to a flyer.
The Olympic gold medal winner, from Kazakhstan, won in style in Brooklyn, New York.
Yeleussinov made a big impact early on against Noah Kidd, stopping the previously undefeated man inside three rounds at the Barclays Center, as part of the undercard to Daniel Jacobs’ 12-round middleweight victory over Maciej Sulecki of Poland.
Jacobs is now the number one challenger with the WBA to Super world champion Gennady Golovkin.
Yeleussinov also won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games as an amateur.
He unloaded a straight left hand that knocked Kidd under the bottom rope with just under one minute to go in the third round.
Kidd, who was previously undefeated in four going into the fight, got up and tried to fight through the trouble. Trading with Yeleussinov led to his downfall moments later.
A straight left to Kidd’s midsection, landed by ‘Kazakh Thunder’, sent the opponent to the canvas again.
Referee Eddie Claudio quickly stopped the fight, following the second knockdown, with eight seconds of the third round remaining.
And his promoter Eddie Hearn, who said that he has the ability to become their heir to the Golovkin throne in Kazakhstan, has already earmarked two dates for his latest recruit’s debut in England.
“He’s going to box in the UK in June, either on our London show or on the Josh Kelly show,” Hearn said during fight week ahead of the 27-year-old’s debut victory. “He’s going to box at welterweight but he’s a big guy.”
London’s York Hall is set to play host to a card topped by a clash between Luke Watkins and Lawrence Okolie for the Commonwealth and WBA Continental cruiserweight titles.
Boxing Scene understands that card will take place on a Wednesday night, potentially on June 6, and will be screened exclusively live on Sky Sports.
“They’ll love him,” Hearn continued. “British fight fans know their boxing and actually, when I signed this guy, because so many people watched the boxing in the Olympics, was ‘Wow. How did you get him?’
“I don’t know how we got him and I’m pleased we have. The people around him believe he’s the kind of guy who can reach world title level in single-digit fights.”
Josh Kelly, who was beaten by Yeleussinov in the last-16 of the Rio Olympics in 2016, challenges Kris George for the Commonwealth title at welterweight on June 16 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, exclusively live on Sky Sports.
That show is co-headlined by Lewis Ritson’s mandatory third defence of the British lightweight title against Paul Hyland Jr.
Also on that bill, Darlington’s Stuart Hall will challenge Gavin McDonnell for the WBC International title at super-bantamweight and Arfan Iqbal will fight Simon Vallily in a rescheduled defence of his English cruiserweight title.
South Shields’ Anthony Nelson will fight for the second time in seven weeks after a two-year layoff when he takes on former world title challenger Charlie Edwards for the vacant WBA Continental super-flyweight title and a whole host of undercard additions are set to be revealed in due course.
News on the date and venue of Yeleussinov’s UK debut will come soon.
