Astana Arlans Kazakhstan and Russian Boxing Team battle to reach the WSB Final
The second World Series of Boxing (WSB) semi-final features a mouthwatering two-legged tie between Season III Champions Astana Arlans Kazakhstan, and WSB veterans Russian Boxing Team.
Kazakhstan has lost just once this season, as they won 13 matches in a row before their winning streak was snapped by Italia Thunder in the last week of the group stages.
Astana Arlans also enjoy home advantage in both legs due to placing first in Group B, which was partly down to remarkable form in Kazakhstan, which has so far resulted in a dazzling 32-3 record in Season V.
Russia finished second in Group A after winning 10 of their 14 Regular Season matches, and qualified for the last four of WSB after eliminating Season II Champions Italia Thunder 9-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.
Both of these teams were eliminated at this stage in Season IV, so the tension will be high in each camp before the start of this fixture.
National Tennis Centre, Astana is the venue for this semi-final clash, where on Saturday 23rd May and Sunday 24th May fans across the world can watch the action free, live and on demand from 17:15 (GMT +6) at AIBABoxingTV.com.
The first leg begins at Light flyweight (49 kg), where 2-1 home favourite Temirtas Zhussupov battles 1-0 Russian Vadim Kudriakov.
Zhussupov is one of the fastest boxers in WSB and always looks to beat his opponent to the punch, while Kudriakov won every round of his quarter-final contest with Italy’s Gianluca Conselmo.
Russia’s 1-0 Andranik Grigoryan enjoyed a solid debut win for his Franchise in the quarter-final over Italy’s Riccardo D’Andrea, and the Bantamweight (56 kg) aims for his second success of the campaign against 2-0 Kairat Yeraliyev.
This could be one of the most entertaining matches of the first leg, as Grigoryan possesses a great range of punches, while 2013 AIBA World Championships bronze medalist Yeraliyev looked very impressive in his opening two Season V appearances.
Samat Bashenov was named the Best Asian WSB Boxer of 2013, and the Astana Arlans Light welterweight (64 kg) is undefeated this season with a 5-0 record, including three dominant home triumphs.
His semi-final rival will be Russia’s 23-year-old Avak Uzlian who has only competed once in Season V when he lost to Cuba’s Yasnier Toledo.
The penultimate match of night one is a fascinating Middleweight (75 kg) fight between the undefeated Meiirim Nursultanov, and Russian debutant Sukhrob Sidikov.
Nursultanov produced many remarkable results in the Regular Season, including a spirited win over Tomasz Jablonski where he took the undefeated record of the Polish fighter.
Sidikov has the difficult task of replacing the number one ranked Middleweight Petr Khamukov in Russia’s team, but he is an experienced competitor who will thrive on the opportunity he has been given here.
Kazakhstan’s Vassiliy Levit finished top of the Heavyweight (91 kg) rankings after seven splendid victories in the group stages, where only one of his victims managed to last all five rounds with the power-puncher.
Although Levit will look to finish the first leg in style for Astana Arlans, he will need to be wary of Russia’s Vitaly Kudukhov who has fought against many of the best boxers in the world throughout his distinguished WSB career.
All three of Levit’s home wins in the Regular Season came via TKO, and if he produces a similar performance in Astana it will give his Franchise renewed confidence heading into the second leg.
Cuba Domadores vs Mexico Guerreros Leg 2:
Will Cuba Domadores go 16-0 in Season V following their second leg against Mexico Guerreros?
A marvelous 5-0 first leg victory for Cuba Domadores against Mexico Guerreros has already assured the Cuban team their place in a second successive World Series of Boxing (WSB) Final, as Mexico are unable to produce a boxer in all five of the scheduled weight categories of the second leg.
After Light heavyweight (81 kg) Carlos Mina was unable to weigh-in for his second leg contest with Cuba’s Julio Cesar La Cruz because of illness, his bout was declared a walkover victory for La Cruz, and with no Mexican reserve boxer available in the weight class, only four matches can now take place in the second leg.
The 5-0 defeat last night means that Mexico are unable to make up the difference on aggregate even if they win all four of the matches, so they are competing solely for pride in this fixture rather than a place in the final.
Cuba has won all of their 15 fixtures this season, with nine of those triumphs being whitewash victories.
Ciudad Deportiva, La Habana is the venue for this semi-final clash, where on Friday 22nd May fans across the world can watch the action free, live and on demand from 20:30 (GMT -4) at AIBABoxingTV.com.
Frank Osvaldo Zaldívar Santisteban makes his first appearance of the season in the opening match as he takes on 4-3 Mexican Flyweight (52 kg) Orlando Huitzil Ahuatl.
Santisteban is an exciting Cuban prospect, but Ahuatl boasts plenty of WSB experience having already competed in 35 rounds this season.
Two-time AIBA World Champion Lazaro Alvarez has been one of the best boxers in Season V of WSB, and the 7-0 southpaw finished top of the Lightweight (60 kg) rankings at the end of the Regular Season.
Alvarez meets 5-1 Lindolfo Delgado in Havana, with his Mexican opponent coming off an excellent quarter-final triumph away in Azerbaijan.
Both of these boxers possess superb boxing fundamentals and tactical brains, which should make a very entertaining event.
The penultimate match of this semi-final is a Welterweight (69 kg) rematch between Cuba’s Olympic and AIBA World Championships gold medalist Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo, and 2-1 Héctor Andrés Reyes Anguiano.
Sotolongo lost twice in the group stages and has had a relatively disappointing season by his own high standards, while Anguiano is fresh off a devastating knockout victory over Orkhan Khasmammadov in the quarter-finals.
It was the Cuban boxer however who won their first meeting in week 12 of the Regular Season, and the wide margin of that victory makes him the favourite to succeed again in Havana.
6-1 Super heavyweight (91+ kg) Domador Lenier Eunice Pero closes the semi-final as he meets former Pan American Games bronze medalist Jorge Quiñonez.
Pero is not the heaviest hitter in the biggest weight class of WSB, but the 22-year-old has excellent stamina for a Super heavyweight, and has already beaten decorated opponents this season including Russia’s Maxim Babanin.
