Uzbek Tigers’ Big Names Hold Key To Unlocking Russian Boxing Team’s Perfect Record in Season VI Quarter-Finals

One of the most eagerly awaited matches of the Season VI Quarter-Finals sees Russian Boxing Team host Uzbek Tigers in the city of Ulyanovsk on Friday and Saturday evenings. The Russians were the only team to finish the preliminaries with a 100% record, while the Tigers have made a hugely impressive start to their WSB story, leading Group D until the final week to ensure a Play-Off place at the first attempt. The Uzbek side has the strength in depth to push the Russians all the way, but here are some of the key battles that could make or break the tie:

49 kg – Bator Sagaluev (RUS) vs. Hasanboy Dusmatov (UZB)

Russian Boxing Team’s 24-year-old Bator Sagaluev won gold at the 2015 European Games and has been undefeated so far this campaign, defeating Venezuela’s Yonny Calderones and Argentina’s Nicolas Alfonso to help his team to the Play-Offs. With a reputation for exquisite right hooks and TKO wins, the home crowd will be baying for the light flyweight to deliver the goods once again.

Sagaluev’s opponent, however, is ASBC Asian Champion and 2016 Olympic qualifier Hasanboy Dusmatov, who boasts an unbeaten 9-0 record in WSB having previously boxed with Ukraine Otamans. Dusmatov won the previous encounter between the pair three years ago, and could repeat the feat in Russia.

69 kg – Albert Karibian (RUS) vs. Shakhram Giyasov (UZB)

Russian Team’s Albert Karibian is a promising young boxer who defeated Rafako Hussars Poland’s Damian Kiwior on his WSB debut in Szczecin earlier this season and then maintained an unbeaten record with wins over Argentina Condors’ Maximilian Ocampo and Venezuela Caciques’ Victor Pinango.

The welterweight will have to overcome one of the most improved boxers in the category, Uzbek National Champion Shakhram Giyasov, a man who, despite having to make his WSB debut in this high-pressure situation, has enough international AIBA Open Boxing experience to trouble the home boxer, including gold at the recent AIBA Asia and Oceania Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an.

WSB Season VI : Six From Six For The All-Conquering Russian Boxing Team

Six from six for the all-conquering Russian Boxing Team as they beat Argentina Condors 5-0 in the final Group A match

Top of the table, unbeaten and with 24 wins out of 30 regular Season VI bouts, the Russian Boxing Team is the WSB franchise to fear as the competition prepares for its knockout stages. Just a day after beating Venezuela Caciques 4-1, the host franchise returned to the Academy Boxing Gym in Moscow and defeated Argentina Condors 5-0.

Famed for the scarcely credible power of his right hooks, Russian flyweight Bator Sagaluev was a heavy favourite in the first contest of the night against teenage WSB debutant, Nicolas Alfonso. The Baku 2015 European Games gold medallist proved the pundits right, as he cruised to a comfortable win against the Argentinean.

Fellow Baku 2015 European Games champion, Bakhtovar Nazirov took over in the bantamweight category. Argentina Condors’ unheralded Piero Carloni did momentarily surprise Nazirov with some strong body shots in the first round, but having gathered himself, the 21-year-old Russian went on the attack in round two and won by TKO in round three.

It was a far closer affair in the light welterweight class. Home boxer Avak Uzlian was, in the end, thankful for the three round lead he built at the start of the contest, as Argentina Condors’ Ronan Nahuel Sanchez came storming back to claim both the fourth and fifth rounds.

Sanchez’s compatriot Christian Zarate endured a frustrating time in his middleweight clash with former EUBC European Confederation Champion, Maxim Koptyakov. The experienced Zarate was never able to get inside the Russian’s defence and lost all five rounds 10:9.

The difference in class was pronounced in the closing contest, as 1.95m tall Sergey Kalchugin, who has fought internationally for 10 years, dominated his inexperienced Argentina Condors opponent, Dario Alcapan.

Argentina Condors finish bottom of Group C, despite winning two of their six matches, while the Russian Boxing Team advances to face Uzbek Tigers in the quarter-finals, a mouth-watering clash.