Ievgen Khytrov's September date cancelled- November ShoBox apperance confirmed

By: Almir Teslic

Ievgen Khytrov was scheduled to return September 26th, in Dallas, but the September return for the former amateur star has officially been cancelled. The young boxer is currently in his homeland of Ukraine and will not return to The United States until early September and the lack of a full and proper training camp has ultimately eliminated a September bout.



Ievgen Khytrov's next televised appearance has been confirmed, however, and Khytrov will be fighting on ShoBox against a fellow prospect to be announced shortly. The first ShoBox appearance of Khytrov's young career is being set for November 7th or November 21st.


The date, venue and official opponent of Ievgen Khytrov's November bout will be announced within the coming week.

Ievgen Khytrov: Return Date Announced

 By: Almir Teslic

According to my sources, Ievgen Khytrov, the fierce hitting former World Amateur Boxing Championships Gold Medalist, known as “The Ukrainian Lion” is set to return September 26th in Dallas, with an opponent to be announced shortly.

The young Ukrainian isn’t taking any breaks as another fight is in the process of being finalized on November 7^th or November 21^st against a fellow prospect. The November fight could have major implications for both prospects as it is being reported that the fight could possibly be shown live on ShoBox. Fox Sports One is another possibility and it would mark Ievgen Khytrov’s second straight appearance on the network.

Ievgen Khytrov is coming off a devastating knockout performance against Willie Fortune, a boxer whose only professional loss prior to August 8^th was against highly regarded Middleweight Tureano Johnson. The quality of opposition for Khytrov has been outstanding thus far for a boxer with only five professional fights. He seems to be on the fast track and a large part of that is due to his promoter- Iron Mike Productions, who’ve made it clear they want their fighters to be challenged, early and often.

Over the years ShoBox has been a wonderful platform for rising young prospects to showcase and develop their skills. The experience gained on the network by young fighters has proven many times to successfully transfer over to higher-profile fights on bigger stages. Fox Sports One has been putting on tremendous cards themselves in recent times, most recently the August 8^th card put on by Iron Mike Productions. The August card left fans craving more and the great Mike Tyson himself has made it clear he is ready to continuously put on fantastic cards and matchmaking equivalent to what we saw earlier this month.

I will be able to officially announce the opponent, venue and network of Ievgen Khytrov’s possible fight in November within the following week. Stay tuned.

Rodney Berman of Golden Glove Promotions: Interview

By Henry Martin:

Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions has steadily been working his way onto the global boxing scene in recent times. He has successfully secured fights all across the globe, expanded the industry to Monaco, and has most recently signed former world title challenger Martin Murray to a lucrative contract. Berman is now looking to breakthrough into the UK market by luring even more boxers from one of the boxing worlds hottest markets to collaborate with him and ultimately stage shows there in the near future.

On October 25th, Berman will be hosting another big card in Monaco which will feature a minimumweight title fight, a vacant bantamweight title and a possible precursor to a another title fight between two undefeated light heavyweight prospects. There is a lot at stake in Monaco on October 26th and the man behind it all sat down with me for a short interview about his upcoming card, and the future of some of his fighters.

Do you have any comments on the rumors of Miguel Cotto vacating his WBC title to move down in weight? Murray is the current WBC Silver champion and number one contender for the WBC title, it seems he is next in line if Cotto were to vacate his title.

My personal take is that Cotto will eventually move down because the only meaningful fight for him at the weight is against Golovkin, who I’m sure he doesn’t want to meet. If Cotto were to vacate, I’m certain Martin Murray will be the mandatory.

What are your thoughts on the proposed “unification” between WBA Middleweight Super champion Gennady Golovkin and interim belt holder Marco Antonio Rubio?

First: this brings Martin Murray one step closer to fighting for the WBC title. Rubio is going to go the same way as Golovkin’s previous opponents; he won’t put up meaningful opposition.

With that said, if Golovkin gets past Rubio, what would be your thoughts of a potential Monaco showdown early next year? Murray has built a solid fan base there since signing with Golden Gloves and a proposed match-up between the two has been a topic of discussion since Murray’s 2013 fight with Sergio Martinez. It seems to be a fight many fans would love to see at 160.

Watch this space! Get ready for a major extravaganza in Monaco next February.

WBA Minimumweight champion Hekkie Budler is fighting on your October 26th card in Monaco. What are the plans for his future as far as possible unification bouts with the other title holders? The unification between Takayama and Rodriguez Jr. captured the attention of boxing fans around the world. What are the chances he unifies with Rodriguez Jr. or the winner of Novao/Menayothin next year?

All our attempts to entice the other champions have seen them running scared. But Golden Gloves will continue to make non-refusable offers. Menayothin turned us down, as did Novoa and Takayama. I can’t say I blame them given Hekkie’s form, but I hope this situation doesn’t result in Hekkie being deprived of being a unified champion. For now he’s fighting recent champion Xiong Zhao Zhong on the Monte Carlo card. Needless to say, we had to offer an enormous purse.

Ryno Liebenberg earned his biggest win against Denis Grachev earlier this month in a gutsy performance that put his heart on full display. With his next fight being against fellow prospect Eleider Alvarez, a stable mate of Adonis Stevenson, do you think a win would set him up with a future bout against 175lb lineal champ Adonis Stevenson?

Ryno versus Alvarez will be one of the fights of the year. In my discussions with Yvon Michel, we’ve agreed the winner will go on to fight Stevenson.

Is the fight between Thomas Oosthuizen and Denis Grachev more than simply just a fight to shake off the rust after a year of inactivity? Grachev just fought Ryno and undoubtedly, comparisons will rise up between the two men against this common opponent.

It’s far more than merely shaking off the rust. Grachev is a very credible fighter and Tommy fighting him will provide a yardstick on whether Tommy still has it. There’s no comparison – Tommy and Ryno have totally different styles. Also, Ryno has surpassed Tommy in the public reckoning and in the rankings. Tommy has to win back trust and confidence.

Due to Thomas Oosthuizen’s inactivity, he left a void that could possibly be filled by Ryno as the best Light Heavyweight from South Africa. Is there any possibility these two will get together in the ring in the near future? This could be a huge domestic fight if it were to happen.

It might happen and would be a real South African super-fight if it did. I would never discount it, but for now the focus is on getting Ryno a world title shot and checking whether Tommy still has the drive to make it. It’s up to him.

This might be a delicate issue, but I’ll take a shot in the dark and ask anyway. What is the ongoing situation with IIunga Makabu? This has been a hot topic among the boxing community for quite some time now.

I’m used to boxers jumping ship; it’s an occupational hazard. Makabu did us a great disservice. If his actions weren’t so pathetic they would be laughable. Time will show that he made a grave error. Golden Gloves is finished and done with him.

Finally, it sounds like your trip to the UK was very successful, congratulations on that! It sounds like Martin Murray will play a vital part when you start promoting shows in the UK next year. I don’t suppose you could tease us and maybe hint at who could possibly be on-board for next year?

A number of leading UK fighters have come knocking, but it would be unfair to name them because some are still coming out of current contracts. Martin Murray will play a huge part in our UK business. I have great confidence in him as a human being. He will be a tremendous ambassador  for our UK operation.

Egis Klimas interview: 08/21/14

With the calender rapidly approaching November, manager Egis Klimas is going to find himself to be a very busy man. WBO champion Sergey Kovalev will attempt to unify titles with IBF/WBA champion Bernard Hopkins in Atlantic City, a fight that is arguably the biggest of both Klimas and Kovalev's careers. A potential win for Sergey Kovalev against a legend of the sport like Bernard Hopkins and sky could be the limit for both Sergey and Egis.

I caught up with Egis Klimas for a short interview with some questions about the short-term future of some of his other, younger fighters.

One of your most well known fighters, WBO champion Sergey Kovalev will be returning on HBO in November against the legendary Bernard Hopkins, in a fight many fans are calling frontrunner for fight of the year. Sergey seems to be one of those dedicated boxers who stay in the gym year-round. After just having fought less then three weeks ago on HBO, how soon do you expect Sergey to start his training camp for his big fight? 

EK: He is already training, he just took a couple of days off after his fight on August 2nd, he did not tire much in only two rounds so he did not need a long break to recover. 

Not to look too far ahead and certainly not to overlook Bernard Hopkins, but with a potential victory for Sergey in November, would you be interested in re-pursuing a unification fight with Adonis Stevenson with the goal of Sergey becoming the undisputed 175lb champion?

EK: If Sergey wins and at that time Stevenson will be holding the WBC title, yes, sure we will look for unification fight. 

WBO Featherweight champion and two time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko is coming off a fantastic performance against another Olympian, Gary Russell Jr. There have been slight rumors that Lomachenko could return on the Manny Pacquiao-Chris Algieri pay-per-view under card in Macau against #1 WBO contender Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo. How soon could we expect an official announcement on Lomachenko’s next opponent and date? 

EK: It is still in work Vasily's next fight, I think by the mid of next week Top Rank will be able to make an announcement.

 

You have previously expressed interest in a Featherweight tourney, which could possibly involve two of your 126lb champions. Has there been any progression on discussions for this possible tournament, or is it all just speculation at this point?

  
 EK: Yes, I liked an idea after Top Rank shared with me about this tournament, I think it would be interesting for fans and should be good for sport of boxing.

IBF Featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich has won over a large number of fans since making his American television debut on ESPN2 in March of last year, with his fan friendly, all-action style. With only 19 professional fights, he has already taken on three mandatory challengers since winning his belt. Are there any opponents you in particular that you would like to see him fight next?

EK: In the Featherweight division sky is the limit, there is so many good fighters, existing champions and upcoming guys who will make good fights. Evgeny's next bout is also in the works and we should have some clearance from our promoter soon.


A common theme for many of your fighters has been the pace in which they’ve stepped up and the difficulty of opposition in such a short amount of time. Two of your rising prospects and former Olympians- Egidijus Kavaliauskas and Oleksandr Gvozdyk have made their professional debuts within the past year. Are there any plans for either of these former amateur stars to make their major television debuts, particularly on ESPN Friday Night Fights, later this year or next year?

EK: These two mentioned fighters by you are real deals. Both are signed with Top Rank Promotions and I believe both will make a lot of noise in boxing. On the other hand you can't make big plans or predictions in boxing, you never know what can happen during the bout or during training, so we are going from bout to bout. Egidijus and Oleksandr train together at Robert Garcia's Boxing Academy and their next fights will be on the same card in Phoenix, Arizona on September 20th.


Vyacheslav Glazkov is another one of your fighters who has challenged tough opposition before hitting his 20^th professional fight. He is next in line for an IBF mandatory title shot against Heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko, if he defeats the only man ahead of “Czar” next month: Kubrat Pulev. Will this be something you plan to pursue for Vyacheslav soon or would you like to get him some more experience under his belt before challenging for a title shot?

EK: Well, "Czar" injured his hand in bout with Derric Rossy and as of now he is in healing status, how long it will take it is hard to say but he is seeing specialists and working with a therapist. As far as experience, he has plenty, 300 amateur fights and five plus years in his professional career with almost 20 bouts.


Egis, I would like to again thank you for your time and I would like to add that the tough matchmaking for many of your fighters has been very enjoyable to watch by boxing fans across the world over the past couple of years!


EK: Thank you! Also would like to mention two very good prospects I just added to my management list. Both came with very good wins- Vasily "The Professor" Lephikin who won by 5th round TKO against Australian Robert Berridge August 9th in Bethlehem, PA. On August 2nd in Atlantic City, Dmitriy "Mechanik" Mikhailenko scored an 8 round unanimous decision vs. Sechew Powell. Boxing world will hear very soon about these two boxers. Also Main Events is looking into signing Vasily Lephikin.

Vadim Kornilov interview: 08/19/14

With a growing stable of boxers that include Olympic champions, former professional champions and championship contenders, Vadim Kornilov has established himself as one of the top managers in the sport of boxing. Boxers such as Ruslan Provodnikov and Viktor Postol have made stateside appearances on HBO within the past year and made a lasting impression to fight fans all around the world. 

Vadim took time out of his busy schedule to sit down with me and discuss the future of some of his boxers. Here's what he had to say:

Vadim, one of your more well known boxers- Viktor Postol, burst onto the scene in May and made a lasting impression to American viewers with his knockout of Selcuk Aydin on HBO. He was a regular at Freddy Roaches Wild Card gym in preparation for his big bout with Aydin, is the plan for him to continue training at Wild Card for the time being?

 VK: Definitely, he will be preparing for his next fight at Wild Card with the same training team once the fight is scheduled.  

After his fight with Selcuk Aydin, Postol stated he was ready for anybody in the stacked lightweight division, most notably, he said he was ready to take on Danny Garcia and challenge for the 140lb throne. Viktor is the WBC mandatory to champion Danny Garcia, has there been any word or whispers by the WBC as to when exactly they will mandate a purse bid for a potential Garcia-Postol matchup?

VK: The WBC has announced publicly on August 12^th that the mandatory is announced and that Danny Garcia has to defend his title against Viktor Postol. On September 12^th the purse bid has been scheduled. Elite Boxing Promotions of Ukraine together with Top Rank are in contact with Golden Boy Promotions about the fight.  

There have been rumors for quite some time about champion Danny Garcia moving up to the welterweight division, based on the WBC rankings, Viktor Postol and tough Argentinean Lucas Matthysse would be next in line to fight for the vacant title. If that opportunity came about, would that be something you would pursue for Viktor?

VK: Definitely, we are as interested in matching Viktor Postol up with Lucas Matthysse as we are in matching him up with Danny Garcia.  We like both fights. 

Ruslan Provodnikov made big splashes within the last year with his terrific performances on HBO and instantly became a fan favorite and developed a cult-like following in the boxing community. His brutal honesty and heart in the ring has captured the imagination of boxing fans worldwide. Will “The Siberian Rocky” be reappearing on HBO this fall?

VK: Yes, definitely. That is the plan. HBO is working out a date for Ruslan together with our promoters Banner Promotions and GT Promotions.  We cannot have Ruslan be out of the ring for too long like the previous 10 months lay off before the Algieri fight, so we have to make sure our fighter is being taken care of.  

Blistering hot prospect and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Egor Mekhonstev is another fighter with a very bright future. Since starting his career in December of last year he has had four fights and is already scheduled back in the ring next month in Texas. Do you prefer your fighters who have deep amateur pedigrees, like Egor, to gradually increase the level of opposition each time they fight or do you prefer to wait after a certain number of fights and just focus on activity first and then start to step them up?

VK: No, I definitely want to gradually increase their experience level fight after fight, and you will see that on September 6^th Egor will already be fighting an 8 rounder with a much better opponent than before.  We had some problems with opponents in the previous fight which was already planned to be a much better opponent that it was. 

You also manage 2012 Olympian Taras Shelestyuk, another fighter who has stayed active since turning pro in 2013. He has fought on ESPN since making his pro debut last year. Will we be seeing him again in the near future?

 VK: Taras will be back in the ring on September 26^th on a Thompson Boxing card in California in an 8 rounder with a good opponent. After that Taras’s promoter Banner Promotions has plans to put him into bigger fights and grow him on ESPN. 

Sukhrab Shidaev is one of your lesser-known prospects but hardcore fight fans remember him from the World Series of Boxing in 2011. After already signing a handful of former amateur stars, do you continue to actively recruit fighters who are fighting at the amateur and semi-pro level, or do you prefer to focus on recruiting boxers who have made the jump to prizefighting and compete at the pro level?

VK: I am definitely interested in all boxers including progressed professionals as well as amateurs.  If the boxers are hard workers and are willing to train in Los Angeles that is enough reason for me to consider to work together with them and grow their career. 

Thank you

Weekend review: 08/15/14-08/16/14

 A recap of the three main events for three separate cards for the weekend of 08/15/14




08/15/14: Rustam Nugaev-Denis Shafikov


The weekend kicked off with a great edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights in a bout that lived up to its billing. Rustam Nugaev and Denis Shafikov squared off at the Chumash Casino in an IBF eliminator in the lightweight division. Both men showed tremendous heart and each boxer proved to have an iron chin in a bout that was as entertaining as a boxing match you will ever see. In my preview to the fight, I mentioned that Shafikov's great footwork, speed and his ability to mix it up by fighting on the outside and being able to get in and get out could be a problem for the straight-forward Nugaev. That ultimately proved to be the difference.


Shafikov started the first round off by measuring the distance between him and Nugaev and landing crisp combos from the outside while Nugaev looked to be feeling Shafikov out. Nugaev came out more aggressive in the second round and tested Shafikov's chin against the ropes numerous times in the round but Shafikov's superior foot and hand speed were on full display by the end of the round.

Nugaev had more success in the third round and started to land combos of his own while finally forcing Shafikov to fight his fight and engage on the inside. It was Shafikov, however, who got the best of Nugaev in the firefight that broke out in round three. Shafikov landed devastating combos that started with punishing body shots and finished with huge uppercuts and left hooks that temporarily interrupted the activity of Nugaev. Both men continued to tee off in round four and the firefight ensued. Nugaev continued to walk Shafikov down in the fourth and did a great job of forcing Shafikov to fight his fight and seemed to be gaining momentum with his clean combos and aggressiveness. An accidental headbutt opened up a cut above the left eye of Rustam Nugaev in round four.

The momentum shift failed to capitalize in round five and Nugaev's lack of defense and tendency to walk in a straight line became apparent. Shafikov resorted back to his boxing and used his jab to set up beautiful combinations that began with brutal bodywork and finished with 1-2's to the head that began to severely swell Nugaev's left eye. Nugaev continued to press forward and landed nice uppercuts through the guard of Shafikov against the ropes, but Shafikov did a great job of bouncing off the ropes and continue his well-rounded attack.  Again, round six saw Nugaev continue his relentless pressure but Shafikov's speedy combinations from the outside started to slow Nugaev down by the end of the round. Roung six concluded with a brutal left hook from Shafikov that looked to temporarily stop Nugaev in his tracks while Shafikov unloaded left and right hands to the head and body until the ring of the bell.

The three rounds going into the ninth and final round were completely one-sided and Nugaev's punches started to lose steam and the accumulation of punches from Shafikov began to take it's toll on Rustam Nugaev.  Rounds seven and eight looked similar to round six and by the end of round eight, it looked as if the Nugaev's corner or the referee were on the verge of stopping the fight, but Nugaev fought on. Shafikov's boxing skills and in-and-out fighting were again on full display in the ninth round and after a body shot had Nugaev backtracking, a lunging right hand from Shafikov pushed Nugaev into the ropes and the referee had saw enough and stopped the fight at the 1:45 mark of the ninth round.


This was a fight that absolutely lived up to the hype before the bout and both guys put on an absolute show. Rustam Nugaev had been in a handful of entertaining bouts on ESPN2 since making his American TV debut last year and this one proved no different. His relentless style and constant pursuit of his opponent is something to be admired and the amount of heart and grit he showed in this bout was second to none. The toughness he displayed while absorbing large amount of punishment from Denis Shafikov was inspiring. It was obvious this was a man who worked his whole life for this opportunity to put himself in a position for a title shot and there was absolutely no quit in him.

Denis Shafikov put on a fantastic performance and his well-rounded game was the star of the night. His fast combinations and great footwork combined with his ability to mix it up and fight off the front and back foot proved to be the difference Friday night. The style that Rustam Nugaev presented is the polar opposite of what Shafikov would be facing if he were to rematch Miguel Vazquez, but the added time spent at Freddy Roach's Wild Card gym might just give the IBF champ something extra to to think about. Shafikov's skills are apparent and I believe he would make for a great fight against any other title holder in the lightweight division. Denis Shafikov proved he is a problem for anyone at 135lbs.




08/16/14: Yoan Pablo Hernandez-Firat Arslan 


IBF cuiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez returned Saturday night in Germany to defend his title for the fourth time since his victory over Steve "USS" Cunningham in 2011. The German based Cuban defended his title against the tough and rugged Firat Arslan who fought for a world title for the second time in 2014, losing by TKO to Marco Huck in the sixth round back in January. The 43 year old Arslan gave Huck a very tough fight in 2012, losing a close decision that ultimately earned him a rematch earlier this year. Hernandez scored an impressive knockout of Alexander Alekseev in his last fight, but many fans thought he looked vulnerable after appearing to get stunned on a couple occasions by the German based Russian. Arslan displayed tremendous heart throughout the fight and his aggressiveness and relentless pursuit of Hernandez nearly earned him the IBF title, but his efforts fell just short of championship glory. 


Round one started off as a feel out round for Hernandez, while Arslan came out with a high guard and pushing straight forward towards Hernandez. From the opening bell, it was clear Arslan was going to try his best to make it a rough night for Hernandez. Arslan began round two by stalking Hernandez and landing his first meaningful punches off the night- a couple of left hooks that landed through the guard of Hernandez. Arslan continued to follow Hernandez around the ring and landed a nice left uppercut that pushed Hernandez to the ropes, following up with a right hand while the champion had his hands down. Hernandez came back with a nice 1-2 that didn't discourage Arslan, who continued to push forward but not throw or land much until the end of the round where both guys exchanged punches on the ropes. Hernandez got the best out of the exchanges in that round and it seemed as if he was on his way to out-boxing Arslan who had the right idea, but seemingly not enough creativity.


Hernandez had his way with Arslan in rounds three and four and it wasn't until round five where Arslan finally came forward with a purpose and started to land more meaningful punches. Arslan caught Hernandez with a short left hook while Hernandez was shelling up against the ropes and not throwing anything in return. Hernandez refused to utilize his jab to keep Arslan off of him and Arslan smothered Hernandez and started to work the body. Hernandez came back with body shots of his own but ultimately got pushed back to the ropes where he continued to shell up and not throw anything in return. Hernandez finished the round with a big body shot and his best work of the round was to the body.

Arlsan's best work of the fight starts in the sixth round where where he landed a nice body shot while Hernandez was on the ropes and followed up with a left hook and uppercut that grazed Hernandez's chin. Arslan followed up with a nice combo on the ropes with Hernandez trying to counter but landing on Arslan's gloves. Arslan landed his best shot of the fight to this point at the end of the sixth where he snapped Hernandez's head back. Hernandez finished the round with more devastating body work which had yet to discourage the 43 year old. In the seventh round, Arslan started to throw more combos and increase his activity, but got countered with a couple of uppercuts that snapped his head back and Hernandez looked to be taking back control of the fight.

Both guys were active in round eight, but Hernandez's body work finally seemed to be taking a a slight toll on Arslan. Arslan finally started to double up his jab and as a result landed a big uppercut. But by the end of the round, both guys seem to start severely tiring. Hernandez landed one of the best punches of the bout with a big right hand with his back against the ropes that snapped Arslans head back violently. Arslan continued to move forward but his activity dropped tremendously.

In round ten, Arslan changed his tactics and started to keep his distance and utilize his jab more. Arlsan started to counter Hernandez by the end of the round and the change in game plan seemed to be a good decision. By the start of round eleven, Hernandez was completely gassed and his activity dropped dramatically. His output dropped in each of the final three rounds and Arslan continued to keep his distance and it seemed he thought he had the fight won. Neither guy threw much in the final round and both guys were absolutely gassed and seemed to have thought they had the fight in the bag. Arslan continued to keep his distance and noticeably fought very careful until the final bell.


Yoan Pablo Hernandez won a split decision with two cards going his way and one going to Arslan. Arlsan gave a great effort and did not look his age until the final few rounds of the fight. The fight was very close and I believe a draw would of been fair- although I had Hernandez winning by a round. It was a bit of a disappointing performance by Hernandez who started to gas out in the later rounds and his activity was almost non-existent at times. The champion let himself get tagged on the ropes and didn't throw his jab enough to keep Arslan off of him. Hernandez's lack of activity at times and stamina issues down the stretch led to this fight being as close as it was. In the end, the champion did just enough to squeak out a victory and the decision was fair. There were a handful of rounds that could of gone either way, as evident by the split in the judges scorecards.




08/16/14: Kell Brook-Shawn Porter


Sheffield native Kell Brook traveled to The United States to challenge IBF welterweight king Shawn Porter at the Stubhub Center in California. Porter, fresh off his dismantlement of Paulie Malignaggi came into this fight as the favorite to defend his title. This was Brook's second stateside appearance and he certainly made the most of it.

Shawn Porter's explosiveness and and athletic ability was well apparent from the opening bell. The shorter Porter's game plan was to make it a dog fight and rough Brook up on the inside. Brook was having none of that and did a fantastic job of out boxing Porter and using his stiff jab and distance punching to pick Porter off as he lunged in. Porter was a bit more crude Saturday night then what we're used to seeing and would wildly lunge in without setting up his punches or work with any jabs. His movement was fine- but through 12 rounds his corner could not find a way to adjust to Brook's game plan and clinching on the inside.

Brook set a game plan from the very beginning of the fight and stuck to it in hostile territory. The most impressive thing about Brook's performance was how he maintained his composure throughout the fight. He never panicked, never abandoned his game plan and never let Porter get comfortable and engage in the dogfight that Porter needed to be successful. Brook's sticking and moving worked to perfection and he looked very comfortable for twelve rounds.

Many people were unimpressed with Brook's clinching throughout the fight but Porter did himself no favors by lunging in wildly at times without utilizing his jab to set his work up. Porters lack of setup work ultimately caused him to smother himself and get held by Brook- who continued to tag Porter as Porter looked for a way to get in. A scorecard of 114-114 seemed a bit outrageous, I had the fight closer to 117-111 for Brook and felt he did a great job of out boxing Porter for the majority of the fight and did not allow Porter to get in any kind rhythm.

Shawn Porter is an explosive athlete and his "bulldog" style could create problems for anybody. A little bit more utilization of his jab and set up work and he should find himself back in a position to challenge a top fighter. As for Brook, he has set himself up with a massive payday and the options are endless. A domestic mega-fight against fellow Brit Amir Khan seems to be a logical next step for both boxers. A fight with P4P king Floyd Mayweather next year could also be a possibility, as could a fight with Manny Pacquiao

Nugaev-Shafikov

Nugaev-Shafikov Preview:

This week’s edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights features two Russians, Rustam Nugaev and Denis Shafikov in an IBF eliminator in the Lightweight division. Denis Shafikov fought the current IBF champ Miguel Vazquez in his last bout in Macau, China, while Rustam Nugaev has made somewhat of a name for himself to American fight fans by being a regular on Friday Night Fights in the past year.

Rustam Nugaev is an interesting fighter, merely looking at his record does not tell the full story. With six losses in his career, it’s easy to brush him off as a journeyman being put in front of the more seasoned Shafikov to make him look good and put him back in the 130lb title picture. That certainly isn’t the case and Rustam Nugaev will be looking to be the Antonio Margarito-esque opponent Vazquez has desperately been craving to hunt the IBF champ down and give American fight fans something more to talk about when it comes to the IBF king.

Nugaev’s record is a bit deceptive- he's won all of his fights in America except a 2005-decision loss to Jairo Rafael Ramirez in Las Vegas in which he managed to drop him and lose a close fight on the cards. He’s had two long periods of inactivity in his career but since coming back onto the scene in 2013, made a big splash by taking out undefeated Peruvian prospect Jonathan Maicelo with a huge one-shot knockout that ultimately put him on notice and brought him back on Friday Night Fights fight cards four more times.

 Nugaev is 13-1 since 2006, with his only loss since 2006 being against tough Uzbek Alisher Rahimov, who himself has fought on ESPN2 against Ji-Hoon Kim in 2012. Make no mistake, Nugaev is a limited, one-dimensional fighter, but his style makes for great entertainment, as evident by his fights on Friday Night Fights thus far. What he lacks in overall skillset he makes up for with his toughness, grit and ability to make his opponents dig deep with non-stop pressure and action. He seems to have a fantastic chin and will need it against the more seasoned fighter Shafikov tomorrow night.

Denis Shafikov comes into this fight off his lone career defeat against Miguel Vazquez. He has made it clear he is determined to avenge his defeat and take the IBF crown from Vazquez. Shafikov was bloodied and busted in a fight in which he couldn’t figure out the formula to adjust to Vazquez’s tough style and height. Shafikov is only 5’5 and has had success taking out taller opponents in the past- such as Albert Mensah, but couldn’t quite find success against the outstanding boxing ability of Vazquez.

Shafikov is far more polished then Nugaev and likes to mix it up- he can box but he can also bang. Nugaev is also 5’10 but does not fight like a tall fighter and that could very well play into the advantage of Shafikov who will have no trouble finding his target tomorrow night. Shafikov is a quick fighter and has great footwork, Nugaev struggled a bit against the speed and footwork of Marvin Quintero in his last fight and I expect Shafikov to start off by keeping his distance from Nugaev and feeling him out, while Nugaev stalks him from the opening bell. The interesting thing about this fight is whether or not Nugaev will be able lure Shafikov into a firefight and force him to fight on the inside. On the flipside, Nugaev has a negligent defense and does not utilize his jab often and if Shafikov does decide to get inside and trade punches, Nugaev could have trouble dealing with the short, compact punches of Shafikov as he did against Rahimov.

This is a fantastic matchup and an interesting fight when you consider the taller man in this fight will look to be aggressor and the shorter fighter is a solid boxer who also can’t help but fight moving forward. Something’s got to give and the winner of this bout is in line for a title shot against IBF champion Miguel Vazquez.