Defending Champions Astana Arlans Kazakhstan Book Semi-Final Spot With 9-1 Win Over Venezuela Caciques

Two-time WSB Champions Astana Arlans Kazakhstan completed their Quarter-Final task in style against the Venezuela Caciques on Saturday night, taking the second leg 5-0 to secure a resounding 9-1 win and set up a huge Semi-Final match against the British Lionhearts.

With Olzhas Sattibayev being saved for the later stages, the home side called upon flyweight Azamat Issakulov to take on current American Confederation Champion Yoel Finol, and a spectacular bout unfurled between the two once the young Venezuelan found his range in the second round. With neither boxer ceding the centre of the ring, Finol tried to switch tactics to unlock the Kazakh, but Issakulov stood firm and the win left the Arlans within one point of the semis.

It was the veteran boxer Zakir Safiullin who then put the result beyond any doubt, controlling his lightweight encounter with the Caciques’ Luis Cabrera thanks to some swift counter-attacks and an effortless style, before debutant Bekzod Khalmetov put in a superb, battling performance to overcome top Venezuelan Gabriel Maestre to the delight of the home crowd.

Arman Rysbek’s first gold at the Kazakh National Championships thrust him into the spotlight back in 2011, and his value to the Arlans squad at light heavyweight was underlined with a unanimous points win over Nalek Korbaj, thanks in part to some big-scoring punches in a pivotal third round that left Korbaj’s brave efforts at a comeback a case of too little, too late.

The Quarter-Final was wrapped up in fitting style by Astana Arlans’ Kamshybek Kunkabayev, who was called upon at super heavyweight against Caciques’ Edgar Ramon Munoz. After a cagey first round largely spent sizing eachother up, Kunkabayev showed his remarkable power with a huge blow to floor his opponent and leave the referee with little option but to stop the bout midway through the second. The Arlans will now face a resurgent British Lionhearts for a place in the Season VI final and a shot at a third WSB championship title.

The Russian Boxing Team aim for a clean sweep against Group C rivals Venezuela Caciques in Moscow

The undefeated Russian Boxing Team will be looking to do the double over Venezuela Caciques on Friday evening and make it five wins from five in Season VI. The two highest ranked teams in Group C face each other in the Druzhba Sport Palace in Moscow.

The home team won’t have it all their way against the Venezuela Caciques, who trail them by just a point at the top of the table. Venezuela’s highly talented South American Youth Championship winner Franklin Jose Gonzalez takes on fellow flyweight Ovik Ogannisian in the first fight of the night. While Gonzalez won his opening Season VI fight with an impressive victory over Rafako Hussars Poland’s experienced WSB boxer Hamza Touba, Ogannisian lost his one and only encounter this season.

In the lightweight division Adlan Abdurashidov provided one of the stories of Season V, with a string of world-class performances securing qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The 25-year-old Russian takes on Christian Palacio, who recorded an impressive victory on his WSB debut in Week 7, defeating the explosive Pole Mateusz Polski.

Two-time Season VI winner and Russian welterweight National Championship bronze medallist Albert Karibian will be favoured to make it a hatrick as he takes on Venezuela Caciques’ Victor Pinango. The 31 year old replaced WSB Boxer of Week 7 Balazs Bacskai in the Venezuela Caciques squad.

Top-ranked Russian light heavyweight Pavel Silyagin might be missing from Week 11, but compatriot Gamzat Gazaliev will still start as favourite in his bout versus Nalek Korbaj.

Silver medal winner in the famous Chemistry Cup, held in Germany last month, Andrey Afonin rounds off the action in his home country. The Russian faces Henrique Dos Santos Nascimento in the super heavyweight clash. The 1.93m Brazilian, who fights for Venezuela Caciques, was a thrilling winner in his debut WSB fight in Week 7.