Ukraine Otamans look for second WSB Season VI win against Group A rivals Turkiye Conquerors in Lviv
Following a thrilling 5-0 opening-day victory against China Dragons in Vinnytsya, Friday night sees Ukraine Otamans entertain Turkiye Conquerors in the impressive setting of the Lviv National Circus. The Conquerors also found success against the Dragons earlier this season, but will be keen to bounce back from their subsequent defeat at the hands of Group A leaders Cuba Domadores with a strong Week 5 performance.
The opening bout sees Otamans’ new flyweight talent and national champion Nazar Kurotchyn make his WSB debut against Strandja Memorial Tournament bronze medallist Hamza Kartal. Another WSB newcomer takes to the ring for the Otamans in bout two, with bantamweight Oleh Dovhun hoping to exploit his height advantage over Turkiye Conquerors’ own debutant in boxing’s unique team competition, 19-year-old Nurettin Ovat.
The Ukraine team’s most experienced boxer and national champion Volodymyr Matviichuk has proven that he still has what it takes to win on the biggest stage. The 33-year-old light welterweight enjoyed a strong Season V and will face Turkey’s Yakup Sener, whose frantic match against China Dragons’ Meng Caicheng got his campaign off to a winning start in Week 1.
The Otamans’ third debutant of the evening, 21-year-old southpaw Valerii Kharlamov, takes on Conquerors’ Evren Tibukoglu in bout four, before what could be the decisive encounter between the hosts’ veteran heavyweight Denys Poyatsyka, unbeaten in Season V, and Seyda Keser, the man who delivered the decisive punch in that spectacular opening-day win over China Dragons.
China Dragons hoping to find their fire and secure first WSB Season VI win against Cuba Domadores
Week 5 of World Series of Boxing Season VI sees China Dragons host Cuba Domadores on Saturday night, with the home side looking to come away with their first win of World Series of Boxing Season VI. The Dragons will be hoping that the beautiful southern China island of Hainan can provide some inspiration as they touch down in the city of Sanya to face a Cuban side unbeaten at the group stages of their previous two campaigns.
The Chinese team couldn’t capitalise on a 2-0 lead over Turkiye Conquerors during the opening weekend of this year’s competition eventually going down 3-2, while Cuba Domadores got their new campaign underway with an emphatic 5-0 win in Turkey.
Getting proceedings underway on Saturday will be Chinese National bronze medallist Huang Xin, standing in for He Junjun in the opening light flyweight clash against Santiago Amador. The bout provides the Dragons with the chance of a valuable win given the tall task facing 20 year-old Wang Long in the evening’s second bout, as he comes up against one of the world’s strongest bantamweights, 2012 Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez.
Hu Qianxun has enjoyed his move up to the light welterweight class and will call on his experience as he bids to overcome Cuba’s 2012 AIBA Youth Champion Kevin Brown. Middleweight Zhao Minggang has a tough bout against current AIBA World Champion and Domadores stalwhart Arlen Lopez, before the heavyweights Li Mingtao and Frank Sanchez embark on what is set to be a close-run final contest of the evening.
