Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov knows everything that he has been forced to overcome just from his last fight alone, in order to arrive on this stage.
There isn’t anything that Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz can bring to the table, he believes, that will prevent him from not only winning his first major title but doing so in spectacular fashion.
“JoJo is a good boxer,” Rakhimov noted—in perfect English—of the defending junior lightweight titlist during Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference. “But he can’t handle my power.”
That theory will be put to the test this weekend, when the unbeaten Russian contender bids for Diaz’s IBF 130-pound title. The two collide this Saturday, live on DAZN from Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.
Rakhimov (15-0, 12KOs) punched his way into title contention following an 8th round knockout of unbeaten Azinga Fuzile in their Sept. 2019 title eliminator on the road in East London, South Africa. Things looked bleak through seven rounds for Rkahimov, a Tajikistan-born lightweight now based out of Russia who dramatically turned the tide to close the show in the 8th round before dramatically turning the tide and closing the show in the 8th round. The fight was not without its post-fight controversy, as it was under review for more than four months due a number of issues raised by Fuzile’s team. Among them was the claim of illegal use of a smelling salt by Rakhimov’s corner in between rounds.
A three-person panel was appointed by the IBF to investigate the matter, with the four-month process ultimately resulting with the original result being upheld. Rakhimov was cleared to challenge for the title, which would be obtained by Diaz in a 12-round decision win over Philadelphia’s Tevin Farmer last January in Miami.
Rakhimov has since waited out the pandemic and for issues between Diaz and Farmer—stemming from a rematch clause in their contract which has since expired—to be resolved before moving forward with his first title fight. The bout is also his first in the United States, although the 26-year old—who is training out of Wild Card Boxing Club with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach—nearly missed out on the opportunity after testing positive for COVID. The adverse finding was far enough out where subsequent negative tests provided a clear path for the fight to be on as scheduled.
With that, comes the bold prediction of a new champion being crowned this weekend. Naturally, Diaz (31-1, 15KOs) is brimming with confidence ahead of his first title defense. His challenger insists, however, that the reign will be one and done.
“We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” notes Rakhimov. “Finally my dream comes true and I’m ready for it.
“We have a game plan, we have a special key to reveal and JoJo Diaz is in for a big surprise.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
