Preview: APB Inaugural Title Match – Light Flyweight
Foshan, China, will host the AIBA Pro Boxing Light Flyweight Inaugural Title Event on February 5. An all-Chinese title match headlines a great night of boxing in Lingnan Pearl, Foshan, as Zhonglin WU and Bin LYU rematch for the Championship belt in front of their home fans.
Their first match was a classic during week two of the competition, where 2012 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships gold medalist Bin LYU emerged victorious over National Champion Zhonglin WU in an engaging battle.
2-1 Zhonglin will have to improve to win their rubber match, but he has already performed excellently so far in APB.
In week one he survived a knockdown to cause an upset victory over AIBA’s number two ranked light flyweight Patrick Lourenco, while in the Matches for Champions series he defeated the previously undefeated Ecuadorian Carlos Quipo to qualify for the title match.
The 3-0 undefeated Bin LYU began his APB career beating the current AIBA World Champion, and APB number two seed Birzhan Zhakypov on points, and then followed up his victory over Zhonglin to secure a third win of the competition against Mark Anthony Barriga.
Match schedule:
- 19:30: David AYRAPETYAN (RUS) vs Leandro BLANC (ARG) W.O. (Exhibition Match: Ariunbold GANSELEM (MGL) vs Leandro BLANC (ARG))
- 20:00: Patrick LOURENCO (BRA) vs Birzhan ZHAKYPOV (KAZ)
- 20:30: Carlos QUIPO (ECU) vs Mark Anthony BARRIGA (PHI)
- 21:00: Zhonglin WU (CHN) vs Bin LYU (CHN) (APB Inaugural Title Match)
Preview: WSB Regular Season Week 4
British Lionhearts and Algeria Desert Hawks both aim to avoid losing three in a row
After two defeats in succession after an opening victory in the World Series of Boxing (WSB), British Lionhearts return home to the iconic York Hall as they host Algeria Desert Hawks who have lost their opening brace of fixtures.
This Group A match is important for both Franchises, with the Lionhearts eager to halt their losing run and reassert themselves as a team looking to qualify from the group, while Algeria will want to ease the pressure of having no wins on the board so far.
European bronze medalist Jack Bateson opens the action for British Lionhearts at Flyweight (52 kg) and he has big shoes to fill in replacing Andrew Selby who was stopped two weeks ago due to a head injury.
His opponent is Abdelhakim El Barka who put up a spirited effort in his first WSB match of the season against Yosbany Veitia.
The Lionhearts have a terrific Lightweight (60 kg) in action for the second fight of the evening, as Bulgaria’s two-time European Championships silver medalist and 2009 AIBA World Championships gold medalist Detelin Dalakliev replaces the injured Joe Cordina and faces Algeria’s 0-1 Reda Benbaziz.
Although highly decorated, Dalakliev has spent most of his career at Bantamweight (56 kg) and could struggle in the latter rounds against a WSB veteran like Benbaziz.
British Welterweight (69 kg) Haizel Ekow Tabiri-Essuman had a great performance in his opening WSB contest against Bogdan Shelestyuk, and will look to make it two wins in a row against Sofiane Tabi who endured a tough first match of the season against Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo.
Light heavyweight (81 kg) prospect John Newell makes his WSB debut in match number four, and the 21-year-old faces experienced opposition in two-time Olympian and 2007 All-Africa Games gold medalist Nabil Kassel of Algeria.
The last fight in London is in the Super heavyweight (91+ kg) division and home favourite Joseph Joyce enjoyed a dream match in Ukraine when he sensationally stopped Viktor Vykhrest in round two, and he will look for another early night against Algeria’s Mohamed Grimes.
Ukraine Otamans bid to stay undefeated against Morocco Atlas Lions
Ukraine Otamans are one of the few Franchises to remain undefeated in Season V of the World Series of Boxing (WSB) and they will aim to keep that run going at home to Morocco Atlas Lions, who earned the greatest result of their WSB tenure so far last week by beating British Lionhearts.
The Acco International Exhibition Center, Kiev hosts this Group A match.
A night of great matches will begin at Flyweight (52 kg), where Azat Usenaliev enters the ring for the first time since sensationally defeating two-time AIBA World Championships medalist Andrew Selby in his first match of the season.
Looking to burst his bubble is Morocco’s Achraf Kharroubi who lost his first match of Season V to Alam Yael de la Luz Galindo.
Next up are the Lightweights (60 kg) and Ukraine’s Oleg Prudkyi defends his 1-0 season record against the 0-1 Abdellah Boudrar who won October’s Mohamed VI Trophy.
Morocco’s Welterweight (69 kg) Mohammed Rabii enjoyed a memorable opening WSB win against Marvin Cabrera, and will look to continue his excellent form when he faces Ukraine’s Oleg Zubenko.
The Light heavyweights (81 kg) fight next, and European Junior Championships silver medallist Oleksandr Khyzhniak is aiming for his second stoppage win in succession against top Dutch boxer Peter Mullenberg who represents the Atlas Lions this season.
An intriguing Super heavyweight (91+ kg) clash finishes off proceedings in Kiev as home favourite Taras Neudachyn battles the heavy handed Abouhamada Abdeljalil.
Can Cuba Domadores keep the perfect run going against China Dragons?
Cuba Domadores, the World Series of Boxing (WSB) Season IV Champions have started the fifth installment of the competition with 15 straight individual wins across three unblemished matches.
They bid to make it a perfect 20 against China Dragons, who have yet to taste a full match victory in their return to WSB despite some impressive solo results. Ciudad Deportiva, La Habana hosts this Group A match.
The action begins at Flyweight (52 kg) where Cuba’s Yosbany Veitia aims for his tenth straight WSB victory against China’s Asian Games silver medallist Chang Yong who makes his first appearance of the season.
Lightweight (60 kg) Domadores fighter Lazaro Alvarez won his opening WSB contest against Reda Benbaziz, and puts his overall 7-1 record in the competition on the line when he faces China’s young Shan Jun.
Cuban Welterweight (69 kg) Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo has gold medals from the Olympic Games and the AIBA World Championships, and also boasts a 6-0 WSB record, with one of those victories already earned this season against Sofiane Tabi.
In the opposite corner for his fight in Havana is China’s Hurichabilige.
Julio Cesar De La Cruz is one of the most imposing Light heavyweight (81 kg) fighters on the planet, and he faces the former Chinese National Championships medalist Shi Guojun in the penultimate fight of the evening.
The last bout is a Super heavyweight (91+ kg) shootout between Cuba’s Lenier Eunice Pero who defends his 1-0 record against the strong Serbian Vladan Babic who is representing China this season.
Russian Boxing Team eager to return to winning ways against in form Mexico Guerreros
After defeat in their second World Series of Boxing (WSB) match of the season against Cuba Domadores, Russian Boxing Team will look to resume their winning habit against the red hot Mexico Guerreros who have won their last two matches.
On Friday 6th February 2015, the Gratsiya Sport Center, Samara hosts this Group A match.
The evening begins at Flyweight (52 kg) and Russia’s former AIBA Youth World Championships bronze medallist Vasiliy Vetkin makes his first appearance of the season against fellow debutant Orlando Huitzil Ahuatl.
An exciting Bantamweight (60 kg) clash follows, as Adlan Abdurashidov looks to go 2-0 this campaign when he faces Mexico’s young AMBC American Youth Continental Champion William Zepeda Segura who makes his first WSB appearance in Season V.
Mexico’s Marvin Cabrera was the WSB Season III number one ranked Welterweight (69 kg), but surprisingly lost his opening match of the fifth instalment to Mohammed Rabii.
He will look to make amends in Russia when fighting Radzhab Butaev who dominated the majority of the rounds in his previous match against Liu Wei.
Light heavyweight (81 kg) Pavel Silyagin won the Golden Gloves Tournament back in December, to take confidence into his first match of the season for Russian Boxing Team against Igor Teziev, who has past WSB experience for Team Germany, and could be the favourite to win this match due to his knowledge of the longer format.
The Super heavyweights (91+ kg) compete in the last fight of the night, where home favourite Maxim Babanin, who also has plenty of WSB fights faces Albania’s Nelson Hysa who is representing Mexico this season.
