Simon Kean is fighting the fight of his life, Arslanbek Makhmudov has the opportunity to present himself on the world stage.
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The Russian boxer, who adopted Montreal, is certainly no stranger, but a convincing win in what many observers consider to be one of the biggest galas of the year could open doors for him.
Eye of the Tiger Management promoter and owner Camille Estephan mentioned this last week during public training attended by his two foals.
“For sure, great performances in such a big sports world will help the team, which has done a lot of work to gain credibility,” he said enthusiastically.
On paper
We can say that the North Ossetian giant is the favorite on paper. Makhmudov (17-0-0, 16 KOs) has defeated almost all of his opponents since turning pro.
The one nicknamed “the Lion” should make short work of junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs), who is starting to show off his 37 years.
In his last eleven fights he suffered four defeats and retirement. 3 times. He was involved in two championship fights and lost each time.
He’s certainly not a henchman, but he’s also not the type of customer who should bother Makhmudov, who has exceptional firepower.
The Eye of the Tiger Management pugilist should also have the crowd behind him as he is Muslim and has visited Mecca, the holy city in Saudi Arabia, a few times.
Prestigious gala
Nicknamed “Battle of the Baddest,” this gala marks the start of the so-called “Riyadh Season” in Saudi Arabia. It is a festival period lasting several months during which major sporting events and shows are organized.
We are betting big on this card, the highlight of which will be a clash between the WBO heavyweight champion, the British Tyson Fury (33-0-0, 24 KOs), and the Cameroonian Francis Ngannou, heavyweight champion of the UFC, until 2021 2023.
In the semifinals we will witness a duel between two undefeated British heavyweights, Fabio Wardley (16-0-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0-0, 11 KOs).