Bakhram Murtazaliev will solely be capable of return to the ring as soon as he’s recovered from a hand harm, and noticed Ramadan, which begins Friday, February 28 in 2025 and finishes on Sunday, March 30.
The Russian 31-year-old scored probably the most significant win of his professional profession in mid-October when he trounced Tim Tszyu within the third spherical at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, to retain his IBF tremendous welterweight world championship.
The 154-pound struggle was the most recent in a merry-go-round of bouts that the largest names in that division have contested in 2024.
Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora engaged in a violent massacre in March, as an illustration, earlier than Terence Crawford defeated Israil Madrimov by choice in August — the identical month Vergil Ortiz needed to survive two knockdowns to attain a slim win over Serhii Bohachuk.
No person, although, was as ruthless, and dominant, as Murtazaliev when it got here to elite fights at tremendous welterweight. And his promoter Kathy Duva of Important Occasion Promotions will now survey the panorama, and upcoming fights, to find out who to focus on for Murtazaliev’s comeback bout.
“We’re going to see, actually, each elite fighter within the division struggle,” Duva informed World Boxing Information, referencing a December duel involving Bohachuk and Madrimov, a potential struggle between Fundora and Errol Spence Jr., and a potential struggle between Vergil Ortiz and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
“They’re all going to struggle one another,” stated Duva. “So we’ll check out all of them.”
Although Duva wish to see her greatest fighter get a struggle booked sooner, reasonably than later, to make sure he can trip the wave of momentum from defeating Tszyu so handily, she says Murtazaliev’s comeback can’t be rushed.
“He can’t struggle earlier than Ramadan, and he has to let his knuckle heal,” she informed us.
Per a press release despatched to World Boxing Information, Bakhram beat Tszyu regardless of “breaking the knuckle on his right-hand pinky finger” throughout a sparring session at first of final month. Regardless of the harm, he was all the time assured. “I assumed I might cease him,” he stated.
Duva doesn’t need Murtazaliev to enter one other struggle with a damaged knuckle. And he or she additionally doesn’t need him having to coach throughout Ramadan — which he has carried out earlier than.
For the struggle in opposition to Jack Culcay in April, which he gained by eleventh spherical knockout at Stadthalle in Falkensee, “he went to Germany within the worst potential circumstances,” stated Duva.
“He was coaching throughout Ramadan so he needed to keep up all night time, do his coaching, and consuming [at night], after which was not in a position to prepare, or eat, all day lengthy. It’s not conducive to the very best state of affairs for a coaching camp.
“He went to Germany a few weeks early, in a lodge out of city, so there was journey simply to get meals.
“However he sucked it up, did what he needed to do. In the event you watch the struggle, he stopped Culcay within the eleventh spherical after beating him up. He didn’t run out of gasoline, he simply stored going. He’s a outstanding athlete.”
Observers anticipated Tszyu to not less than hassle Murtazaliev. Certainly, Tszyu and his workforce had been planning a win so clear {that a} December return was even being talked about within the build-up to the Bakhram bout.
However one one that was all the time assured Murtazliaev would get the W, was Duva. She’s had that feeling earlier than — of being counted out. “One was Holyfield-Douglas, which resulted in a three-round knockout. One other was Kovalev-Cleverly, which was a four-round knockout.
“This was one other struggle,” she stated, “the place I used to be so satisfied we’d win. Bakhram was so assured that he fought him regardless of the bone break in his proper hand. He stored his mouth shut, although, went and did the job, and beat him along with his left hook. It was completely superb … the man’s a beast.”
She continued: “I assumed, particularly going into the Tszyu struggle, with him going off a reasonably brutal loss, that that is the time to struggle the man.
“He’s leaping into a extremely powerful struggle and doubtless doesn’t notice it. It was the right state of affairs to reap the benefits of, and it labored out completely.”
The one factor that’s not so good now could be the time to attend between Murtazaliev’s greatest win, and what’s subsequent, however that doesn’t cease Duva dreaming up what’s in retailer.
“We wish to give him a while to get better, after which after Ramadan, a while to coach and put together,” she informed WBN. “We’re in all probability taking a look at Could or June.”
After we requested what’s subsequent for the fighter, Duva pointed us to Bakhram’s personal feedback.
“I might like to unify the titles,” Murtazaliev stated, in a nod to fights in opposition to different tremendous welterweight world champions like WBA ruler Terence Crawford, WBC and WBO champ Sebastian Fundora, and, maybe, even WBC interim title holder Vergil Ortiz.
Duva elaborated: “That may imply whoever comes first with one other belt.”
She stated: “Clearly, Crawford could be his No.1 precedence.”
Crawford could also be a potential struggle to make as a result of few have established themselves with a win so ruthless and particular that they warrant a shot at a pound-for-pound man.
Even Turki Alalshikh, the boxing financier who has taken an curiosity in Crawford, was on the telephone making an attempt to get by means of to Murtazliaev within the locker room, instantly after Bakhram’s win over Tszyu. They’d Face-Timed beforehand, too.
There are different fights that could possibly be straight-forward to make, too. Because the upcoming winner of the possible Q1, 2025 struggle between Fundora and Spence could be an apparent match to make for Murtazliaev.
“We’ve been working with Premier Boxing Champions now since 2020, they usually’re speaking to us already,” stated Duva. “The alternatives are there.
“After we get round to subsequent Spring,” she stated, “I really feel obligated to provide PBC a first-look. If we proceed to work with them, we’d be very comfortable to try this.”
From there, a transfer to middleweight could possibly be on the playing cards. “Another choice could be to go get a champion at middleweight,” stated Murtazaliev in a press release to WBN.
“He desires to unify the titles earlier than shifting up,” stated Duva. “And, if and when he does, he has the body of a brilliant middleweight. Shifting as much as middleweight in some unspecified time in the future is smart.
“You take a look at all this expertise at 154 they usually’re all going to have to maneuver up in some unspecified time in the future as a result of that’s simply the character of the world. It’s higher to deliver these names up there [to 160] with him.
“Within the meantime, he’ll proceed to determine his dominance over the division.”
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Alan Dawson is World Boxing Information Lead Author, a 2 x Sports activities Journalist of the 12 months finalist, and 5 x BWAA awards winner. Comply with Alan @AlanDawsonSport.
