Nikolai Valuyev is remembered in Belarus. He’s been remembered well since Belarusian heavyweight Vitali Shkraba tried to storm the Russian “Rock”. The attempt did not work: the peak remained unsubdued, Shkraba failed. However, Vitali was not likely to be a match for the fast rating ladder climber Valuyev. WBO superheavyweight champion Sergei Lyakhovich is completely another matter. Since his victory over Lamon Brewster, fans have been talking about nothing else than Sergei Lyakhovich’s clashing with Valuyev soon. Lyakhovich’s manager Ivaylo Gotzev announced the intention to arrange a fight Sergei Lyakhovich vs WBA champion Nikolai Valuyev.However, the fight, which claims to become the fight of the year, exists as a plan so far. On June 3 Valuyev will have to defend his title from trespass by American Owen Beck. Nikolai’s team prefers not to think about prospects of bringing the belts together. Gotzev is considering the possibility of arranging an intermediary match Lyakhovich vs Kevin McBride. “We will have to wait till Don King agrees on arranging the fight with Valuyev”, said Gotzev. “As far as McBride is concerned, the fight will be quite useful for Sergei. Kevin has proved to be a complicated opponent. Besides, he is Irish and just as Valuyev he is tall”. In turn, Lyakhovich noted, “Brewster deserves a return match. I would not like anybody to think I am afraid of anyone. My target is to win all titles therefore I am ready to fight any existing champion. Just give me a chance”.
Matches for heavyweight titles usually attract largest crowds of fans. However, lighter categories are worth seeing just as well. Moreover, Belarusians are not the last in the category. In late April Sergei Gulyakevich will enter the arena. He’ll be the first Belarusian to fight for the Europe champion title. Gulyakevich’s rival is more than a serious opponent. Alex Arthur is the present Europe champion and the best lightweight boxer of Britain, who lost only one match in his entire career. According to Arthur, the match in his home city of Edinburgh will be kind of a warming-up before the fight for the world championship. However, Gulyakevich, who sent famous Bulgarian Toncho Tonchev to a technical knockout during a match for the world intercontinental champion title, has his views on the match with Arthur…
Next month second best European boxer Yuri Romanov plans to fight a match as well. The Belarusian has not been doing perfectly well recently. After a year-long break he suffered an arguable loss against British Graham Earl. The name of Romanov’s future rival and the place of the match have not been defined so far, however, in any case Yuri is dead set to return his lost position.
by Dmitriy Komarov
