Two former light heavyweight title challengers, who saw no action in 2023, will collide with each other in a locally meaningful cruiserweight clash on Saturday, February 24th, in Moscow, Russia. The Eurasian Boxing Parliament’s cruiserweight title will be at stake in this fight.
KRK “Uralets”, Ekaterinburg - WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) easily outboxed Umar Salamov (26-2, 19 KOs) over twelve rounds for a lopsided unanimous decision win.
Super featherweight Aznaur Kalsynov (2-0-3) got a much needed break to his series of three consecutive draws but outfighting rough Russia-based Uzbek Alisher Shodiev (3-2-1, 1 KOs) in a fight, scheduled and fought for six rounds. Kalsynov showed grit and determination to outbox his opponent and got a unanimous decision.
The scene is set for one of the largest boxing events in Russia this year. Super WBA light heavyweight king Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) is set to make the seventh defense of the black belt against fellow countryman and WBA #10 rated Umar Salamov (26-1, 19 KOs) in a perfect clash of different styles.
WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol of Russia is training hard for a scheduled defense in December and is currently preparing with three sparring partners at a training camp in Krasnodar.
LAS VEGAS – Joe Smith Jr. has a new date, a new site and even a new opponent for his next fight. Bob Arum, Smith’s co-promoter, told BoxingScene.com on Wednesday that Smith will make a voluntary title defense against England’s Callum Johnson on January 15. Smith-Johnson, a 12-round fight for Smith’s WBO light heavyweight title, will be televised by ESPN as a main event from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
Joe Smith Jr. will have to wait a little longer for his first title defense. The reigning WBO light heavyweight titlist will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time after recently testing positive for COVID. The development puts on hold a planned showdown with mandatory challenger Umar Salamov, which was being eyed for October 30 on an ESPN platform from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City.
Grozny, Russia - Umar Salamov was scheduled to warm himself up against a fighter who had lost his last two contests - one to a boxer with 2-0 record. Instead, Salamov found himself in a firefight with a well-matched opponent in Sergey Ekimov.
A number of Chechen fighters, promoted by Ramzan Kadyrov-supported Akhmat Boxing, will be showcased in a huge local night of boxing, which is expected to take place on Thursday, April 8, in Grozny, Russia.
In a perfect world, Maxim Vlasov would have been back in the ring long ago. Sadly, the universe would not allow him to fight, several times, in the last few months. The veteran light heavyweight contender continues to go with the flow, confident that through patience would come good fortune.