By Alexey Sukachev
Rapidly rising light heavyweight contender Dmitry Bivol (7-0, 6 KOs) comes back to the ring for the third time in 2016, and it’ll be in just a couple of weeks from this point. WBA #1 Bivol will stay busy with a non-title ten-rounder against dangerously punching (against soft opposition) Tanzanian Abdallah Paziwapazi (13-3, 12 KOs).
The fight will presumably take its place on October 29 at the Arena in Ekaterinburg. Sergey Trofimov is listed as the promoter, albeit this time his biggest stars will be presented for the show by the “World of Boxing”, Russia’s top promotional power.
Bivol, 25, a talented amateur, started his career less than two years ago and scored six stoppage wins against fighters with solid records before challenging undefeated Dominican upset artist Felix Valera (13-0) for the WBA interim title, winning it on a wide unanimous decision this May. Paziwapazi, 23, got his brightest wins at home against local journeymen Selemani Said, Mada Maugo and Maneno Oswald. He also had a breakout kayo victory in China, where he stopped Russia power hitter Andrey Kalyuzhniy in three.
The Super WBA title in this weight class belongs to unified WBA/WBO/IBF champion Sergey Kovalev, while a regular title is owned by Nathan Cleverly of Wales.
Paired with Bivol is his amateur buddy and fellow prospect Sergey Kuzmin (7-0, 4 KOs). This Russian heavyweight will compete in a ten-rounder against well-travelled American old man Mike Sheppard (24-19-2, 10 KOs). Sheppard, 41, found is biggest success just a year and a half ago, knocking out 35-4 China Smith in two.
Featherweight Nikita Kuznetsov (5-0, 3 KOs) will see action against durable Filipino Rey Laspinas (21-13-6, 12 KOs) in the most exciting of the undercard fights.
Other fights:
Rustem Fatkullin (5-0, 1 KO) vs. Evgueny Smelov (2-2, 2 KOs) – 8 rounds, 140 lbs
Sirazhudin Agaev (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Aram Amirkhanyan (6-0, 2 KOs) – 6 rounds, 154 lbs
Shuhrat Jalilov (4-0-1, 2 KOs) vs. Andrey Nurchinskiy (9-12-4, 7 KOs) – 6 rounds, 135 lbs
Irina Poteeva (debut) vs. Patima Ayshalov (0-1) – 4 rounds, 147 lbs
Zurab Kvitsiani (debut) vs. Vladimir Bogdanov (0-2-1) – 4 rounds, 168 lbs
Sergey Vorobiev (debut) vs. Sergey Dyachkov (0-2) – 4 rounds, 140 lbs