A Champion's Calling: how Kuzmin defeated one of the strongest boxers in Africa
Russian boxer Sergey Kuzmin defeated Ghanaian Ebenezer Tette in the main fight at the REN TV Fight Club tournament, which took place in Yoshkar-Ola on the evening of February 28. The fight was held in the heavyweight division. After six rounds, the judges gave the victory to the Russian by unanimous decision. Kuzmin entered this fight on short notice, replacing the injured Alexei Papin.The main sensation of the tournament was the success of Russian Igor Sviridchenkov, who defeated two-time Olympic champion Roniel Iglesias from Cuba.
Kuzmin is preparing for big fights
The Ghanaian boxer was originally supposed to face Alexei Papin, but the heavyweight was injured and withdrew. He was replaced on short notice by 37-year-old Kuzmin. Sergey is the WBA Intercontinental heavyweight champion (2018, 2019), the WBC Eurasia Pacific heavyweight champion (2016, 2017) of Eurasia and Oceania. Before the fight in the capital of Mari El, Kuzmin fought 21 fights, won 19 of them (14 by knockout), and lost two.
Boxer Ebenezer Tette
Ebenezer Tette is the WBA Africa and WBA Pan Africa champion. Throughout his career, the Ghanaian has fought 25 fights, winning 23 (20 by knockout), and lost two. The most striking knockout of Ebenezer's career happened in a duel against Stephen Abbey, when Tette finished the fight in the first round.
Kuzmin did not allow his opponent to seize the initiative. He immediately began to attack, but Gantz was not so easy to break through. His defense and stamina allowed him to withstand Kuzmin's onslaught in the first two rounds.By the middle of the fight, Sergey began to find gaps in his opponent's defense, and in the third round, his powerful side kick sent Tette to the floor of the ring. The African stood up and continued to resist — Kuzmin tried to finish the fight ahead of schedule until the last round, but his opponent remained on his feet. Sergey won by unanimous decision after six rounds and inflicted the third defeat on Tetta in his career (he had previously lost only to world champions Daniel Dubois and Dillian Whyte).
— I tried to practice my combinations," Kuzmin said after the fight. — I didn't have the task to knock him out right away.I'm training, working out my combinations for big fights, that's all. About 60-70% got what I wanted.
Boxer Sergey Kuzmin
The Russian was also surprised by Tettey's resilience after a lot of missed blows to the head.
— The fact that he stood up says a lot, — Sergey continued. — It was not for nothing that Ebenezer got to such rivals as Dubois and White.
Sviridchenkov's victory over the two-time champion
In the first fight of the main card, the audience witnessed a tense confrontation between Sergey Sergeev and Jorge Manuel Soto.Sergeev, known for his aggressive fighting style, immediately took the initiative. His powerful punches and precise footwork didn't give his opponent many chances. However, Soto, an experienced boxer from Cuba, showed restraint and tried to counterattack. Despite his efforts, Sergeev won the fight by unanimous decision after four rounds.
"I knew the fight would be tough because it wasn't some kid from the yard who was picked up and told to fight," Sergeyev told Izvestia. — It's obvious that Jorge is tougher than me. His weight category is 80 kg. It was a little hard. To say that everything went according to plan… I was flirting a bit, I wanted to "cut myself down" because I was getting involved in a fight. I got in, the exchange was good. And it was clear that a couple of moments when I "knocked him down" somewhere, it was just felt. The main thing is that he boxed well.
Boxers Sergey Sergeev and Jorge Manuel Soto
The next fight between Igor Sviridchenkov and Roniel Iglesias was a real test of endurance and tactics.From the first seconds, it became clear that both fighters were determined to win. Sviridchenkov, with his powerful punches and excellent physical fitness, tried to overwhelm his opponent. But Iglesias, who has excellent technique and speed, skillfully evaded attacks and responded with precise counterattacks. The fight lasted all the allotted rounds, and the judges gave victory to Sviridchenkov — the Russian won his first professional match and inflicted his first defeat on the two-time Olympic champion.
— First of all, I want to thank Yoshkar-Ola for the warm welcome," Sviridchenkov said after the fight. — As for the fight, Iglesias got a little hooked, it was visible even from the second round, when I just started to go straight for him. It was becoming difficult for him to maintain such a pace. It wasn't easy for me either, but I stuck to my line, and he started backing away. Nevertheless, Iglesias is such a master that he had no mistakes, maybe it was just his age. I think his big downtime between competitions also affected him, there was no competitive experience. So he can still prove himself in the professional ring.
Boxers Igor Sviridchenkov and Roniel Iglesias
It should be noted that the event in Yoshkar-Ola was attended by world boxing legend Roy Jones.
— The level of the tournament is very high, Jones said. — It's about the organization and the level of boxers.The top guys boxed with very serious opponents.
Jones was the undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world. At the 1988 Olympic Games, he won the silver medal, losing in the final to South Korean Park Si-hoon.
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