Emelianenko’s return to the ring, Carnation's revenge and Ruiz-Joshua rematch: what is being discussed in the boxing world

The Return of Emelianenko

After a series of scandals, Alexander Emelianenko is actively looking for an opportunity to return to the ring. So, there were rumors about a possible fight with the famous powerlifter Mikhail Koklyaev, and the athlete admitted that he had received a contract from the Bare Knuckle FC boxing promotion without gloves. True, he did not answer whether he signed the agreement and did not indicate the date of his debut in the organization.

In parallel, Emelianenko Jr. expressed his desire to take part in the tournament in memory of the hero of Russia Viktor Omelkov in August, but failed to implement these plans. The fact is that only athletes with the title of Candidate for Master of Sports (CCM) were allowed to speak at competitions.

This refusal seriously upset Alexander, who admitted that his performance hoped to “divert all the negativity from boxing and draw the attention of youth” to this sport. As a result, the organization listened to the call of Emelianenko and decided to organize a duel for him, but not at the championship in Anapa.

As stated by the General Secretary of the Boxing Federation of Russia Umar Kremlev, this championship was not professional and was intended for the performance of young amateur athletes.

“We are ready to offer and organize everything for a performance in the professional arena. The main thing is his agreement. Now we are preparing a proposal for him. And the terms and place are the details that will need to be discussed after approval, ”RIA Novosti quoted the Kremlin as saying.

As well-known promoter Vladimir Khryunov later said, a famous MMA fighter can perform at a show in Serpukhov on October 3.

“The alleged rivals of Alexander Emelianenko are either Vyacheslav Ryabov or Sergey Kalchugin. <...> We will make such an offer, "said Khryunov.

As for the rivals, it’s hard to call them famous. So, the 23-year-old Ryabov has one professional duel on his track record, and the 31-year-old Kalchugin has three. At the same time, both athletes are undefeated and have a good blow. This is evidenced by the fact that Vyacheslav won his only fight by knockout, while Sergei twice left the ring ahead of schedule.

It is noteworthy that October 3 marks exactly ten years from the moment of the first and so far the only fight Emelianenko according to the rules of professional boxing. In 2009, he met with Khizir Pliev at a tournament in Moscow, but failed to win. According to the results of four rounds, the judges declared a draw.

The confrontation of Beterbiev and Carnation

In general, October promises to be one of the most eventful months in terms of events in the boxing world. Two weeks after the battle with the participation of Emelianenko in Philadelphia, a unifying light heavyweight fight will take place, in which IBF champion Arthur Beterbiev and WBC title holder Alexander Gvozdik will meet.

The battle is interesting not only because its triumph will become the owner of two belts at once and will take the first step towards the title of absolute world champion. Boxers represent Russia and Ukraine, which gives their battle a special principle. Especially in light of the current situation around the countries and the recent refusal of the FBU to send an official delegation to the Russian championship in Yekaterinburg.

At the same time, the athletes themselves do not think about politics, especially since there is already a long history of confrontation between them. So, Beterbiev and Gvozdik already met each other at the Ahmet Comert Memorial tournament in Istanbul. The fight lasted two rounds and ended in an early victory for Arthur. According to the recollections of the Russian, he broke the nose of the Ukrainian, after which his team refused to continue the fight.

“I know him very well, he was an excellent amateur fighter. I fought with him in 2009, and he won, so for me it will be another incentive to return the debt of a decade ago. Now we are completely different boxers and other people, but for me this is a great chance to take revenge, ”Carnation BoxingTalk quotes.

The Ukrainian shared his plan for the fight a little. So, he admitted that he was not going to engage in exchange with Beterbiev by blows, as his last opponent Radivoye Kaladzic did.

“I hope so, because this is our plan. I’m definitely not going to stand in front of the enemy and try to exchange blows, because such a strategy does not work with him. We will also see which tactics will be most successful, ”said Gvozdik.

In case of victory over Beterbivy, to win the title of absolute champion, Carnation will have to defeat two more Russians - Kovalev and Bivol. According to Alexander, at the moment he is not going to consider the idea of ​​a battle with Sergey, who is his teammate and friend.

“This will be the last of the unifying fights that I would like to hold,” concluded Gvozdik.

Rematch between Joshua and Ruiz

The decoration of the last month of 2019 will be the return match between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz. In June, an American of Mexican descent shocked the whole world by knocking out an invincible Briton at that time. So, he became not only the holder of titles in three prestigious categories, but also one of the most discussed athletes of the year.

After the first fight, the fans were waiting for an immediate rematch, but the negotiations were very difficult. The stumbling block was the venue of the fight. So, after a devastating defeat in Madison Square Garden, the side of Joshua did not want to conduct a retaliatory battle in the USA. Great Britain and Wales were considered as possible options, but they were not very suitable for the opponent.

In turn, Ruiz, on the contrary, wanted to hold his first title defense in his homeland - in the United States or Mexico. As options, he called Los Angeles and Las Vegas, while completely eliminating the likelihood of a fight in the UK.

As a result, the parties nevertheless came to a compromise, and the return battle between Ruiz and Joshua was scheduled for December 7th. Saudi Arabia was unexpectedly announced as the venue.

“Ruiz did not want the fight to take place in the UK, believing that it was unfair. It seems to me that Joshua is not looking for any excuses. Andy wants to prove that he won fairly, and is ready to fight in neutral territory. I don’t think that Anthony should give up the fight. <...> From the point of view of risk, a fight outside the home country poses a great danger to him. <...> I admire him for not being afraid of difficulties, ”Hearn quotes Sky Sports.

The news of choosing Saudi Arabia as the venue for the battle caused a serious resonance. So, after the official announcement, ex-world boxing champion Lennox Lewis admitted that he did not believe in it.

“It became clear to us that Saudi Arabia is serious that it invests in boxing, and this is very important for us. We need to understand that there is a different world outside of Cardiff and Madison Square Garden. We must help our sport grow in new areas and regions, ”said the promoter.

According to Hearn, holding such a fight in Saudi Arabia can change the course of development of the sport.

“In my opinion, this event can forever change boxing. If Saudi Arabia continues to finance such fights, then, taking into account the population of this country, we will be able to observe a significant development of this sport. It seems really interesting to me, ”added Hearn.