Dejan Zlaticanin to Mikey Garcia: "I Will Give You Hell Inside The Ring!"

On January 28^th, 2017 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Dejan Zlaticanin defends his WBC Lightweight title against former Pound for Pound star Mikey Garcia. This is Zlaticanin’s first defense of the vacant WBC title that he won in June of last year against Franklin Mamani. Dejan took some time out of his busy training camp to answer a couple of quick questions about his upcoming title defense against Mikey Garcia: 

How has your life changed since winning the WBC title in June of last year?

DZ:  So far, I have not financially benefited in terms of support from my country.

The only thing that changed is that I have succeeded in becoming the second person from former Yugoslavia to win the championship. Everything else remained the same besides the fact that the title made me the world champion. In the past, I’ve received various acknowledgements, but some of them were more significant to me personally. For example, I’ve had postal stamps issued with my character and received Best Athlete awards from the Town of Podgorica and Sports Journalists’ Association of Montenegro in 2016. However, the recognition of being the best in Montenegro never came from the Montenegrin Olympic Committee. The Committee claimed that current regulations did not allow them to award the Best Athlete Award to a professional boxer. 

You have previously told me that you wanted to make a strong and lasting impression for the American viewers. After having your first fight on American soil in Alabama, you are now defending your title on the biggest stage in boxing, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas against Mikey Garcia. How hungry are you to defend your title successfully on January 28th?

 

DZ: In fact, this is a great chance to leave a lasting impression in the United States. I am fighting against a boxer who is very well known in the United States and I want to win more than ever. I will give him hell in the ring.

Every boxer’s dream is to fight in the MGM Arena and I have had that dream as well. I am very excited and extremely honored for the opportunity to be one of the stars that night.

What do you know about Mikey Garcia as a fighter and are you doing anything differently in your preparation for your first title defense?

DZ:  I know Mikey. He hits hard and he has good timing, but not so much when it comes to his defense. It will be an interesting fight.

Now, I can’t really say if I would change anything, it all depends on the situation inside the ring. No one can know for sure what would be the right thing to do. Tactic is applied with respect to the situation inside the ring. Maybe he will fight upfront, maybe he decides to fight from a distance. My job is to find a way through to his head.

How is your training camp going and where are you training? 

DZ: I wouldn’t talk much about how I am preparing. I am training hard; my sparring is hard, etc. I have my training sessions in one of the boxing clubs in Long Beach, working with Slobodan Andjelica and Jose Benavidez.

 

Garcia has only had one fight in almost three years; do you think he’s stepping up in competition too fast fighting against a boxer of your quality? How important do you think his inactivity will be for this fight?

DZ:  How significant will it be that he has not had a fight in three years remains to be seen. Garcia is a longstanding and well known boxing family. Whether this was a mistake or not should be left for them to decide. The only important thing for me is to hurt him as much as possible inside the ring.

Lastly, with the fight just weeks away, do you have any message for the fans and for Mikey Garcia?

DZ: My message to the fans is that they will enjoy the fight and see Garcia’s first defeat on January 28.  

My message to Garcia is for him to know that I will give him hell inside the ring. I am not afraid of him and I am not one of those who will succumb to his stature and awe. He will definitely get to feel that on January 28 and he better hit as hard as he can because I am going all the way.   

Dejan Zlaticanin on signing with Al Haymon

It's been a busy past nine months for Dejan Zlaticanin, who captured the WBC International lightweight title in late June against former WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns. The action-packed Montenegrin was just two fights removed from the biggest win of his career against Spanish-based-Russian Petr Petrov. Petrov's career reached new heights after his loss to Zlaticanin when he traveled to The United States and got an opportunity to display his skills against then-undefeated prospect Fedor Papazov on ESPN's Friday Night Fights.

Two fights and fourteen months later, Zlaticanin traveled to Glasgow, Scotland and won a decision against Ricky Burns, who is now scheduled to face the former WBC lightweight champion Omar Figueroa in May. Having been at the top of the WBC rankings since his victory against Ricky Burns and seeing his two most important defeated opponents continuously getting big fights just didn't seem right. It is why Dejan Zlaticanin now feels he has an opportunity to make a big splash and shakeup the lightweight division in 2015, as he has signed with powerful adviser Al Haymon within the past week.

The WBC has ordered a final eliminator between Dejan Zlaticanin and Ivan Redkach, the undefeated Ukrainian who has made his mark on American TV within the past year with impressive performances on Showtime and ESPN.


I briefly spoke with Dejan after his announcement that he is signing with Al Haymon and this is what he had to say:


AT: Dejan, once again congratulations on your newly announced contract with Al Haymon. I've spoke with you multiple times since your victory over Ricky Burns in 2014 and each time you've expressed a burning desire to fight for a title. One of the men you've been calling out since capturing the WBC International lightweight title is former WBC champion Omar Figueroa, whom is now scheduled to fight Ricky Burns in May.

It is well-known that Al Haymon fighters get big and lucrative fight opportunities. Did seeing Ricky Burns get a fight with Omar Figueroa before you have any affect on you and your camps decision to sign with Al Haymon? Did you feel Al Haymon gives you the best chance for a lightweight championship fight?

DZ: Hi Almir. Thank you once again. I have a big desire to fight for a world title because I know I deserve a title fight. I would of liked that he stayed in the lightweight division and I could of gotten a chance to fight him.

Of course, I have other offers from more managers and promoters but Haymon gave me the best terms. In the end of this year or the beginning of next year I hope I will fight for the title.

AT: Are you allowed to confirm a name of any potential opponent you may be facing next, and possibly when?

DZ: WBC has ordered me to fight Ivan Redkach in a final eliminator for the WBC title. I don't know the date or place yet, but it will be in the USA.

AT: You've spent the majority of your career in your home country of Montenegro and have traveled across Europe, now that you have signed with an American adviser such as Al Haymon, what kind of changes, if any, will we be seeing to the Dejan Zlaticanin camp? Will there be a move to the United States to stay closer to where you'll most likely be fighting in the near future and if so, has your management team presented any ideas of potentially new places to fight out of?

DZ: I will be preparing for my fights in the USA. I do not yet know from where I will fight out of, but I will know the details soon!

AT: In regards to your upcoming bout, possibly against Redkach, has there been any talks of it airing live on American TV?

DZ: I think the fight with Redkach will be live on American TV.

AT: Any thoughts on the upcoming Figueroa-Burns, and Crawford-Dulorme fights?

DZ: I think Burns will beat Figueroa, he doesn't have the power to hurt Burns. Crawford will win a unanimous decision.

AT: To wrap things up, what should American boxing fans who may have never saw you fight before expect from Dejan Zlaticanin in 2015 and do you have a message for your new-found supporters in America and the loyal following you have already build in Europe on whats to come in the coming year?

DZ: I want them to know they will enjoy every fight of mine because of my style. I love to fight. My message is to follow my career and I will not disappoint you.

My message to future opponents is: El Dinamita is coming and will blow you up!

Ievgen Khytrov-Louis Rose set for 11/21

 By: Almir Teslic


"The Ukrainian Lion," Ievgen Khytrov will be making his highly anticipated return to the ring on November 21st against Louis Rose in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The middleweight bout is scheduled for eight rounds.


The former Ukrainian amateur star has remained active since making his pro debut less then a year ago. The November bout will mark the sixth ring appearance for Khytrov in 2014 and his handlers remain focused on keeping him as active as possible while gradually increasing his quality of opposition. Khytrov made a devastating national television impression in August, in which he knocked out veteran Willie Fortune in the first round. Fortune was best known for going the distance with top Middleweight Taureano Johnson in early 2013.


Louis Rose (11-1-1) is a 25 year old prospect fighting out of Lynwood, California. Rose is currently riding a three fight-2014 win streak with his most recent blemish being a draw against Paul Mendez in 2013.

Dejan Zlaticanin hungry for title shot, returns 10/25

By: Almir Teslic


WBC #6 and WBO #9 ranked fighter Dejan Zlaticanin is set to return on October 25th in a ten round bout which will take place in his home country of Montenegro. The Montenegrin is coming off a decision victory over Ricky Burns in Scotland and now has his eyes set on a WBC title shot after his October fight.

Zlaticanin's manager has been in talks with the WBC about a potential title shot next year and although it is just speculation at this point, the WBC International titlist is eager to prove to the world that he is a championship-level boxer:

"Wins over Petr Petrov and Ricky Burns prove that I can beat the best and I'm a world class fighter. The priority is WBC and I will work on that to get chance as soon as possible, then I can fight for other titles."

"I hope that I will 2014 finish with a record of 20-0 and after that I hope that there will be serious talk about a fight for world championship belt. I come from a country where boxing is not popular, much harder then boxers in USA. I hope I will soon fight in USA and prove how much I'm worth."


"Dinamit" Dejan knocked Ricky Burns down with a tight and short left hook in the first twenty seconds of their June fight. Zlaticanin went on to outwork Burns over twelve rounds and win a split decision in Glasgow. Zlaticanin also defeated Spanish based Russian Petr Petrov in April of last year.

Petrov made a big splash to American audiences this year with his fabulous performance in ESPN's Boxcino Lightweight tournament. Victories over prospects Fedor Papazov, Chris Ruud and the battle-tested Fernando Carcamo ultimately led to Petrov emerging as the Boxcino Lightweight tournament winner.

Zlaticanin possesses a very aggressive and fan-friendly style and will look to make a similar impact on American TV in the coming year.

Roman Gonzalez: Post fight interview

By: Almir Teslic



Last weekend kicked off with a fantastic Flyweight showdown between Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez and Akira Yaegashi. The two top Flyweights went toe to toe in a grueling nine round bout. Roman Gonzalez came out victorious with his ninth round stoppage of the extremely tough former WBC champion.

With his victory in Japan, Gonzalez became a three division champion and only the second Nicaraguan fighter to accomplish the feat. Following in the legendary footsteps of Alexis Arguello, it's easy to forget "Chocolatito" is only 27 years young.

Fresh off his championship belt winning performance, Roman Gonzalez and his manager Carlos Blandon sat down with me and spoke about future plans, his November return date and more:


Was your preparation for Yaegashi and your first Flyweight title fight any different then in previous fights?

RG: Yes, my preparation was different in the aspect that I added to my team a strength coach, a nutritionist, and a doctor. They have helped me better my skills, strength, and health in order to obtain more stamina and endurance at the moment of my fight. I knew it was going to be a war and that Akira has been training for at least five months for this fight, so my manager prepared my team well in order to improve my chance of winning.


You are now a three-division champion and one of the most accomplished fighters in the sport as far as resumes and beating top fighters go.

I know it's very early, and you've barely had time to soak this win in or be with your family, but what would you like to be next for Roman Gonzalez?

RG: Well, first of all I want God to know that I am grateful for this win, I want to give him the glory, and in the near future we would like to make a couple defenses of the WBC belt. My manager just signed a fight for November 22 in Japan although the opponent has not been set but the fight has. Next year I would really like to fight Gallo Estrada and win over his two belts, but I believe we both deserve a good purse for that fight.


Is a potential unification bout against the winner of Estrada-Segura your next goal moving forward? Is there anybody in particular you would like to fight next?

RG: Yes, I have set that goal; unify all 4 belts of the Flyweight division. Gallo Estrada!

  
The lowest weight divisions are non-existent on American television and premium cable networks, yet divisions such as Flyweight host some of the most exciting and action-packed fights the sport has to offer, and the top boxers constantly fight each other.

Do you believe your ruthless, exciting style and fantastic track record of opponents could open the door for future HBO/Showtime television dates for the smaller divisions?

RG: I sure do, all it takes is an exciting fight like the Gallo fight and we will have opened the doors for good for the minimum weights, or so we hope so at least.


I'm not sure how much you follow the rest of the boxing world, but within the past week, former WBO Middleweight champion Peter Quillin vacated his WBO belt and rejected a career high ($1.4 million) payday after choosing not to fight his mandatory opponent Matvey Korobov.

As a fighter who's had to earn everything the hard and old school way: fighting all over the world, taking on multiple top fighters and doing it all without having the same stage somebody like Quillin has had, does it disappoint you to see situations like that take place? 

RG: I have mixed feelings about this because to me it is alot of money, as I said before we would like a good purse for the Gallo fight, but I put myself in his shoes and maybe he believes he deserves more, so I might understand the fact that he wants to value himself more, but nonetheless I see it as a lot of money to be declined.


Who are some of your favorite fellow boxers to watch when you're not training and have time to relax, if any?

RG: I like Randy Caballero, Luis Cuba Arias, Mayweather, GGG, Shinsuke Yamanaka, Manny Pacquiao, and Ryu Murata.



Roman Gonzalez's manager, Carlos Blandon: 


Carlos, have you had any contact with HBO/Showtime or any American TV networks about possibly showcasing Roman Gonzalez on their network?

CB: Not personally, but our Promoter has had contact from HBO for the Gallo fight, and they offered 150k for both fighter which we took as offensive and declined immediately.


Do you think that is a possibility now, down the line and would you even be interested in that if the opportunity presented itself? It is mind boggling that a deep division such as Flyweight gets no airtime on major American television.

CB: I believe the day will come soon. People want the Gallo fight and they both have the will to fight each other, so if you mix their intentions to fight and the pressure of the people we will soon find a deal that makes both parties happy, I am sure about it.


Do you have any thoughts on the Peter Quillin WBO Middleweight belt situation? I imagine it must be frustrating witnessing something like that when you have a pound for pound star who would fight anyone, anywhere for much less money.

CB: Yes, I feel it was controversial to see somebody decline that amount of money, but at the same time I believe only each bóxer and their manager really know what they are worth.


I know it's early and difficult to predict anything in the sport of boxing, but can you give some final thoughts on what's next for Romans career in the near future and down the line?

CB: I believe we will get to unify all 4 titles of the Flyweight division.

I would like to thank both of you very much for taking time out of your busy schedules to sit down and answer these questions.

Thank you very much for taking your time to interview us.

Top Rank prospects staying active

 By: Almir Teslic

Tomorrow night, former Olympic Gold Medalist Egor Mekhontsev returns to the ring against veteran Samuel Miller in Texas.

Mekhontsev is a blistering hot prospect with a deep amateur pedigree, beating fellow prospects such as Marcus Browne, Oleksandr Gvozdyk and fellow amateur star Adilbek Niyazymbetov, among many others.

He possesses a a plethora of weapons at his disposal as he has a lightning rod of a jab, good footwork and speed to go along with his dangerous two-handed power. Moving at the same pace many other former amateur stars-gone-Top Rank, he's facing a game opponent who has been in there with some of toughest fighters in the sport. The last few years have not been kind to Samuel Miller, but he's best known for giving Marco Antonio Rubio a competitive fight back in 2010. Rubio is set to fight WBA Middleweight king Gennady Golovkin in October and remains a top ten Middleweight. Miller isn't expected to leave the ring victorious, but he continues a satisfying trend of recent prospects and former amateur stars gradually stepping up their competition from an early stage. Mekhontsev is trained by Freddy Roach at his famous Wild Card Gym and his skilled boxing base combined with his seek-and-destroy instilled by Roach already makes him a dangerous fighter for anybody.

With only four fights to his professional record, Mekhontsev is moving at a pace faster then many other prospects we've seen come up through the years. With such a deep amateur pedigree and with so much experience in the amateurs, for the 29 year old Mekhontsev, anything less then this gradual step up of opposition could possibly only do him harm. I recently interviewed manager Vadim Kornilov and he's made it clear his guys will only get better and gain proper experience if the opposition gets increased as it will be tomorrow night in Texas.

Fellow stable-mates; Egidijus Kavaliauskas and Oleksandr Gvozdyk also make their return this month on the same under card in Phoenix, September 20th. While not quite the same depth of amateur pedigree as Mekhontsev, Kavaliauskas is being pushed at a similar pace of activity. The relentless fighter is coming off a win against an undefeated opponent and is already set to return a month in a half later. The Lithuanian prospect has stayed as active as his stablemates and his September return marks his fourth fight of the year. Kavaliauskas is trained by the famous Robert Garcia at his boxing academy and his relentless style is perfectly suited for the world renowned trainer. At 5'9 in the Welterweight division, Kavaliauskas has all the physical tools to make a big splash in the division a couple of years down the line. Egidijus's power, size and strength was in full display in his last fight and we should continue to see it with his world class training.

On the same card, Oleksandr Gvozdyk returns for only his third professional bout and third in five months, since making his debut. A Light Heavyweight with a similar frame and strong base as Mekhontsev, Gvozdyk is another red-hot prospect who cannot be missed when he is in the ring. Standing at 6'2, he possesses a strong jab and works behind it to throw his devastating right hand that could create problems for any 175lber in the future. Smooth and light on his feet, Gvozdyk is coming off a good performance where his boxing skills were on full display against Michael Gbenga. Gbenga is a battle-tested, tough Ghanian fighter who's been in the ring with many of the top prospects and former prospects in the sport. Gvozdyk is also trained by Robert Garcia and it'll be interesting to see him get plenty of rounds in over the coming months and years.


Felix Verdejo's ring return has also been announced within the past couple of days by Boxingscene.com. The super skilled Puerto Rican star will make his return in Orlando, Florida against young and tough Mexican Sergio Villanueva on October 4th. Verdejo's activity has been consistent with his stablemates and the young prospect has already had 14 professional fights in just under two years. Verdejo is one of the brightest prospects in the sport and the youngest out of all the Top Rank prospects set to fight in the next month. At just 21 years old, the activity is fantastic for his experience but there should be no rush for world-class opponents any time soon. Verdejo's shared the ring with one of the best amateur boxers ever, Vasyl Lomachenko. Their 2012 Olympic Quarterfinals bout was a competitive one in which Verdejo gave a glimpse of what is to come from the young man many Puerto Rican fight fans are calling "the next big thing," from the island. Verdejo possesses a near complete package that starts with his phenomenal speed, both in his hands and feet. His quick hands, footwork, combined with his accuracy, timing and strong sense of distance and underrated power for a 21 year old prospect is something the whole boxing world can be excited about.




The lack of rising talent is non-existent in professional boxing and there is a bundle of prospects to keep our eyes on, from many different promoters. From Top Ranks stable, the rise continues tomorrow night and in the coming month we will see four of our potential sports future stars in action.

Could Deontay Wilder miss out on his Heavyweight WBC title shot because of Al Haymon?

 By: Henry Martin

Yesterday Afternoon, WBO middleweight champion Peter Quillin chose to vacate his title instead of defending it against mandatory challenger Matvey Korobov. While the reason is unknown, Quillin stated that he and his team would be looking for bigger and better things beyond the mandatory defense against Korobov.

I would like to thank the WBO for allowing me to grace the ring and live out my dream of... http://t.co/KOCz3JCBoz pic.twitter.com/NoYQ2X80TN
— Peter Quillin (@KIDCHOCOLATE) September 4, 2014

 Now, while there is no clear reason as to why this happened, it is speculated that Quillin vacated his title at the behest of his adviser Al Haymon. While Quillin may have wanted to fight his mandatory challenger, everything changed when Jay Z's promotional company, Roc Nation, won the purse bid. Al Haymon and Jay Z have a shaky history together that stems from Al Haymon conspiring with Beyonce Knowles's father to defraud her.

If Al Haymon did indeed let his personal problems with Jay Z get in the way of looking out for his client's best interests, then that may not bode well for his other clients who may be up for purse bids in the future and are open for Roc Nation to bid on. Two such fighters who have purse bids coming up on September 12th are Deontay Wilder and Danny Garcia.

While Danny Garcia could stand to lose his belt, it isn't as big of a blow to him as it would be to Deontay Wilder. Danny Garcia is the recognized champion of the 140 pound division and he plans on moving up in weight soon. If he were to lose his WBC belt, he still has his WBA super belt to fall back on, should he decide to stay in the 140 pound division.

Wilder on the other hand has never won a title and he is the mandatory challenger for Bermane Stiverne's WBC belt. If the fight goes to purse bids and Roc Nation does indeed win again, it could place Stiverne in the same situation as Quillin and eventually cause Wilder to pull out of his mandatory fight.

That would be a shame if that did happen as Haymon shouldn't let his ego get in the way of doing what's best for his client. Like the purse bid for Quillin vs Korobov, we'll see how things unfold in the coming weeks.