Southpaw middleweight contender Sergiy Dzinziruk is preparing for his January 25th contest against hardnosed Texan Brian Vera on a Banner Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions promoted edition of ESPN 2’s Friday Night Fights. The bout is scheduled for 12 rounds at the middleweight limit and will be televised live from the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York. A win over the gritty Vera could mean big things for Dzinziruk as he looks to put himself in position for a world title opportunity.
Dzinziruk defeated Daniel Santos in 2005 to win the WBO junior middleweight championship, a title he successfully defended 6 times. The former junior middleweight champion from the Ukraine by way of Hamburg, Germany will be looking to impress in front of a national audience, using his high level boxing ability to out maneuver his opponent Vera, a fighter with a more brute style.
“I’ve been working very hard in the gym, but specifically I’ve been working at getting the most out of my natural abilities. I have all the tools needed to become the very best and being aware in the ring doesn’t just come from the defensive side of things, you have to know your limits and capabilities offensively and be willing to push yourself further each time,” Dzinziruk said.
In his last outing, Dzinziruk took on Puerto Rican prospect Jonathan González and the two fought to a draw, although Gonzalez missed weight and had a 7lb weight advantage over Dzinziruk. Still, Dzinziruk was able to negate the weight disadvantage and stifle Gonzalez, boxing his way around the bigger man.
“I felt like my last time out I didn’t capitalize on every opportunity that was presented to me, it was my fight to grab and it slipped away because I let it. I’ve prepared to get back into the win column and anything less is unacceptable, I will define the moment and not let the moment define me,” Dzinziruk said.
This time around Dzinziruk will be fighting an opponent in Vera that has made a career out of digging deep in his most dire moments. Vera is coming off of an impressive victory over perennial contender Sergio Mora in August of last year.
“I respect every opponent, but Vera is a different monster,” Dzinziruk said. “The guy never quits and he is always willing to take the fight to the most uncomfortable places possible. I’m willing to go wherever is necessary, but it won’t be Vera calling the shots because I’m going to dictate the pace and control the fight. My preparation for this fight has put me in the best possible shape, and with my conditioning I will systematically break my opponent down and reestablish my position amongst the division’s elite.”
Gary Shaw, Dzinziruk’s co-promoter, is excited to get his fighter back in action and in front of a large commercial audience. Shaw feels that his fighter is in title contention right now and a win would only bolster those chances.
“Sergiy is a dangerous fight for any of the belt holders in the division and I could see him in a title fight by the end of 2013,” Shaw said. “If you look at the landscape of the division you realize it’s a deep division filled with opportunity, Sergiy fits right in that picture and his abilities make him easy to matchup with just about anybody. A win over a guy like Vera puts him right there in title contention.”
