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Ike: Your impression of Brewster?
Lyakhovich: He's a good fighter and has an awkward left hook. I watched his fights on tape; He has heart and power but that's all he's got. If he fights me the same way he fought his past opponents, he'll be in big trouble, I can tell you that right now. I'll be ready for whatever he brings.
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Heavyweight contender Sergei Lyakhovich recognizes he has the opportunity of a lifetime on April 1st when he faces WBO heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster. "It would be amazing to win a world title," he says. "It would mean a lot for my country [Belarus]. I fight for myself, my team, my family and everybody who supports me."
Lyakhovich largely has been overlooked for the past several years despite amassing a respectable 22-1 record. Perhaps it's because he has been beset with injuries and did have fight even one time in 2005. Perhaps it's because he was stopped in June 2002 by Maurice Harris, a fighter with 13 (then 12) losses.
Whatever the reasons, it doesn't matter now, as the man they call "the White Wolf" can erase all doubts with a victory over the powerful and dangerous Brewster. Lyakhovich and his expert trainer Kenny Weldon insist that the man from Belarus will be at his best for the April 1st showdown in Cleveland that will be broadcast on SHOWTIME. His manager Ivaylo Gotsev is even more confident, stating: "Come April 1, there will be a new heavyweight champion of the world. Fighting against the best heavyweight champion, there will be no questions unanswered."
"This is exciting for me," Lyakhovich says. "Everything is great right here. I've had the best camp in my life and I am ready 110%."
Weldon says that his fighter has already been training for seven weeks and is "looking outstanding."
Both fighter and trainer realize that the champion presents a most formidable task, as he has both great power and heart. The champion has trailed on the scorecards in several fights only to rescue himself with his devastating power.
"Brewster is a real, real good champion," Lyakhovich says. "It shows in his fights that he fights with great power and heart." Weldon agrees, noting: "We know that Brewster is very capable at any time of taking you out. But Sergei can also take out anybody with a single punch."
Critics question whether Lyakhovich can deal with Brewster's power, particularly since he has not fought in more than a year, since he outpointed Dominick Guinn over ten rounds in December 2004. Lyakhovich was scheduled to face fellow contender Owen Beck in September 2005 but suffered a chest injury in training. He insists that the layoff will not negatively impact his performance. "No, the layoff won't affect me. I've stayed active in the gym. We are prepared for the best Lamon Brewster."
While some may question the skill, there appears to be zero doubt about his will. "I think Sergei probably is the only boxer I've worked with that has as much dedication to training and hard work as Evander Holyfield does," Weldon says. "Sergei is of the same type and determined mindset as Evander. He sets goals for himself and knows what he's chasing. He won't go in the ring unprepared."
"I am ready for a great fight," Lyakhovich says.
"He is going to seize the moment, he's a sleeper, a darkhorse," boasts Gotsev.
Lyakhovich is prepared for the powerful champion and can "seize the moment." If so, it could be one helluva fight.
My Pick: Sergei Lyakhovich
In any case, rather then defend my decision, I will explain what I think Brewster has to do to win this.
Lamon Brewster does carry potentially great power, but not exactly the correct boxing vehicle to deliver it, however. Sure, in a street fight, picking against him would be funny, but this is a boxing match and I think Lyakhovich will try to realize that difference. One this is clear, Brewster is outboxable, and no matter what people say, he has been made to look foolish in instances by Kali Meehan, Clifford Ettiene, Charles Shufford, and, of course, Wladimir Klitschko, who unloaded a ghastly amount of punches in his fight against Brewster, all vicious head shots, that made him look like a human punching bag. Nevertheless, Brewster survived and won the bout, but absorbing that kind of punishment can't be good for his future health, in my opinion. In Brewster's last fight against Krasniqui, he was also not doing well up to the knockout, getting outworked, yet Brewster won that fight, too, stopping a weary Krasniqi in the 9th round. This only leaves the Golota fight, but again, Golota has been embarrassed so many times it's just not funny.
I know this may seem like Brewster bashing but it’s the way I see this guy fight. This does not excuse Lyakhovich, either, who gets lazy and complacent in the ring as well. Against Friday Ahunanya, while clearly winning, Lyakhovich got caught by a huge shot late in the fight and to be perfectly frank, it was some silly haymaker, he should have seen and avoided. Same seemed to go for Guinn, who caught him at times in their fight.
From my perspective, Lamon Brewster’s power is much better than that of Ahunanya and Guinn, as well as his ability to carry some form of it late. In order to win, I think Brewster has to find an instance where Lyakhovich drops his mental guard, and then unload on him with one of Brewster's monstrous left hooks. The best way to do this, perhaps, is to do something similar to what he did against Krasniqui, and what some delusional fans believe he did against Klitschko; That is, attack the body. Against Guinn, although Lyakhovich won, he came in with a pot belly stomach and that may have very well played into his complacency in that fight, at times. I mean, it's smart in a sense cause if he is going all out and he knows he is out of shape' then he will just get tired and give up the tail end of the fight, but it is still a weakness.
I don’t believe with the Golota fight in retrospect, that Brewster can come in there and stop Lyakhovich early. It's possible, of course, mainly because it probably has not been tried against him, but I think his team will consider the Golota fight and make sure he is ready for an early bomb out attack like that. Brewster should mstill try to bum rush him, I feel, since even if it fails, it will likely make Lyakhovich nervous and that will take its toll on already poor stamina. Nevertheless, it all depends on how much Lyakhovich focuses on preparing for that possibility.
My last point I wish to make on the fight is, as always, there is a possibility there might be issues with judges and scoring. Lamon Brewster is the more marketable as a fighter, to be honest. He has some big KO’s, and has a powerful promoter. Lyakhovich just cannot compete with that. This may be an issue the judges keep in the back of their mind. Like it or not, against Meehan, I believe that is what happened, and whether people realize that or not, it's an advantage to Brewster, from my view of things.
Coming off a unanimous decision over respected one-loss newcomer Dominick Guinn, Liakhovich was able to turn some heads. So many, in fact, that on April 1 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, the “White Wolf” will step into the ring with WBO heavyweight champ Lamon Brewster in what appears to be an intriguing matchup.
Boasting an imposing stature – 6-foot-4, 240 pounds – and having command over a sound tactical arsenal with adequate speed and punching power, some believe he may have what it takes to make some noise in an attention-deprived division.
Now a resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., Liakhovich was born in Belarus, a country with substantial Slavic tradition, yet relatively short certifiable history since its independence was declared in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was in the nation’s capital of Minsk where Liakhovich began his pugilistic ascent, amassing an impressive 145-15 amateur run that culminated in a 1998 victory over England’s highly touted Audley Harrison.
Liakhovich turned pro on Christmas night 1998 and, after a first-round stoppage over Igor Sharapov, pressed on with eight fights – seven KOs – in just more than a year.
In his ninth pro bout, Liakhovich was called to the workshop for measurement against journeyman Everett “Big Foot” Martin, a veteran of bouts with such notables as Dwight Muhammad Qawi, George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Rid**** Bowe, and Larry Holmes in which he’d gone the distance with all but Bowe and floored Moorer.
Liakhovich earned a unanimous eight-round nod over Martin and followed it up with consecutive wins over Anthony Curry, Tracy Wilson, and Bradley Rone before another test, a December 2000 showdown with fellow prospect Darrell Dixon on the Trinidad-Vargas undercard, and another unanimous decision – this time in six rounds – victory.
Liakhovich beat two more opponents before advancing to a 12-round defeat of NABA champ Friday Ahunanya. But with the title win came self-satisfaction, a burden that manifested itself in Liakhovich’s subsequent outing, a ninth-round stoppage loss to unheralded trial horse Maurice Harris at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City in December 2002.
“I learned a valuable lesson that night,” he said. “I will never come into a fight overconfident again.”
So far. So good.
With six wins since the KO defeat, Liakhovich has put himself into position for the title bout that, with another win, could make himself piece No. 2 in a potential triumvirate of European heavyweight champions. And although it’s still yet to be seen if Liakhovich will play his part in a new European invasion, one thing is for sure… he has his shot.
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