Thin End of the Wedge in Nottingham: Khaliq vs Dzuman

By S.Noble

19.11 - It wasn't quite the rip-off Britain beloved by tabloid headline writers, on Saturday night in Nottingham, but it wasn't exactly a fair return on the service provide either. Roman Dzuman's challenge for the IBO world title held by Jawaid Khaliq ended in a split decision and disappointment for the brave Ukrainian challenger.

Disappointment at a loss, certainly, but also the feeling that he had done enough to merit the decision. Certainly the previously unbeaten challenger had given Khaliq by far his stiffest examination yet. In front of the usually voluble Nottingham crowd, Dzuman at times had almost silenced the hometown support. Dzuman had the champion backing up almost from the opening bell, and when he rocked Khaliq with two left hooks in the second, the champion decided to get on his bike.

Before the fight much had been made of Khaliq's stopping power and his ability as a finisher. Question marks were raised about the quality of Dzuman's chin, which had never been tested as a professional. This overlooked the minor detail of over a hundred fights as an amateur and a silver medal at the world championships. Still, Dzuman had to prove his ability to step up to this level of competition. Khaliq who has always had a lethargic style seemed either unable, or unwilling to increase his workrate. Throughout the fight, this pattern repeated itself. Although Khaliq was now fighting in spurts, the center of the ring was almost continually occupied by the aggressive Ukrainian. It may have been this aggression that undid Dzuman in the eyes of the judges, as his work was wild at times. This was almost certainly due to the desperate desire and determination that Dzuman possessed to bring the title back to his family in Lvov. While it is undeniable that by this stage Dzuman was having less success than in the opening stanza's, his work rate was still higher than Khaliq, who was continuing to box off the back foot.

In the eighth round, Khaliq turned to complain to the referee about a clash of heads, which left him with a cut eye. This was a foolish error, as it allowed Dzuman to land several clean punches, again forcing Khaliq onto the backfoot. While there can be no doubt about the quality of the Nottingham local's chin, or about his footwork, these alone were not scoring him points. The Judges however, saw things differently. Unfortunately for Dzuman, it was clear after the delivery of the split decision that he needed to have knocked Khaliq off his feet at least once in order to beat him in his hometown. The feeling remains though, that had the fight taken place in America, Dzuman would have received the reward that his efforts merited.

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On the Road to Success: Roman Dzuman

By S. Noble

12.11 - I once described Roman Dzuman (photo: Polish Boxing Promotion) as the "Happy Wanderer". A fighter who was unfazed by the opponent in front of him or the crowd watching him. In many ways a throwback, a boxer who would take on any opponent anywhere, provided there was something worth fighting for. On November the 16th Dzuman's will and determination and desire will face their most exacting test yet. Fighting Jawaid Khaliq in front of his fanatical hometown fans is a prospect that would unsettle many. Dzuman though is unperturbed, confident that he can deliver the biggest win of his career, despite the obstacles stacked against him.

For Dzuman the fight is simply another step along the road that started back in 1994, when he won silver at the World Championships in Istanbul. Part of the same team, as one of the Klitschko brothers, Dzuman is no stranger to fighting abroad. In fact he has never actually fought inside Ukraine as a professional. The crowd shouldn't affect the ferocious concentration that Dzuman always brings to any contest he is involved in, no matter how important or how easy the opponent is supposed to be. Not that he will take a fighter of Khaliq's caliber lightly, as he will be only too aware that his former stablemate Jacek Bielski was stopped in five rounds by Khaliq only last year.

What Dzuman brings to the ring that many of Khaliq's previous opponents have lacked, is genuine punching power. A fighter who never lets himself get out of shape between contests, Dzuman can garuntee that he will be in excellent physical condition for the biggest night of his life. So his confidence and self-belief are not built on foundations on sand, rather on the firm base of a regular and rigorous training regime. Outside the ring Dzuman is a quiet man, who shuns the extravagant lifestyle favored by many fighters. For him boxing is more than just a profession, it is a way of life. In fact probably the only things which are more important to him are his wife and his religion. Although he is under no illusions about the magnitude of the task facing him, it is his strength of character as much as his physical attributes, which give him the belief, that he can succeed where others have failed.

Khaliq of course will be desperate to maintain his unbeaten record in front of his home town fans. What makes the fight even more tantalizing is the style of both boxers. Both Dzuman and Khaliq like to box behind their jab. As their respective records show though, either fighter has the power and the accuracy to take an opponent out at any time during the contest. Although the fight is unlikely to be an all out war like the recent Barrera vs. Tapia contest, it should none the less be an enthralling clash of will and desire.

Roman Dzuman challenges Jawaid Khaliq on Nov 16

By Olaf Schroder

13.10 - "November 16 is the day. What happens that night will have an effect on the rest of my life - and I know what I must do," were the words of Roman Dzuman, a top-ranked welterweight from Lviv in Ukraine, when it was announced last week by his promoter Krzysztof Zbarski that the unbeaten 26-year-old will finally challenge IBO world champion Jawaid Khaliq on that day.

Dzuman perfectly fits into 'hungry fighter' category and his rise in the professional ranks since he abandoned the amateur vest in the summer of 2000 bears testimony to that cliché-like fact. Despite an amateur career that gave him a final of world championships at junior age and European Cup at seniors level, he found no favors from Europe's 'name' promoters, who are always reluctant featuring prospects from East European countries that bring no financial backing to their shows. So Roman ventured on a second-class train ticket to Warsaw, Poland, where Zbarski's Polish Boxing Promotion was making great strides in becoming a promotional force in the world of professional boxing. Zbarski was immediately impressed with the young fighter and offered to guide and promote him: "What I saw was not only a great prospect, but a genuinely nice boy who had a burning desire to make something our of his life."

After only 10 fights, seven of which Roman won by knockout, he was put in with dangerous Argentinian Walter Fabian Saporiti, the same Saporiti who just recently ended the unbeaten run of Danish hot-shot Jan Jensen with devastating, crushing KO. Yet, even though Roman was practically a 6-round novice, he punched out an exciting points win over the 12-round championship distance to win the IBO Intercontinental belt. That moment just over a year ago, the dream began to clash with that organization's world titleholder, the aforementioned Jawaid Khaliq. Dzuman kept active in that time, winning four times including an impressive defense of his Intercontinental crown in challenger's Ferenc Szakallas backyard of Budapest, Hungary to push his record to 15 straight wins with 10 coming inside the scheduled distance.

Now come November 16, at yet-to-be announced site in England, and Dzhuman will get his shot. "You have to understand the situation in Ukraine," Dzuman tries to explain his hunger and desire, "either you make it big or you are practically at the bottom of society. There's no real middle-class life in Ukraine. Boxing is my only chance to make it big and knowing the bottom all my life, I simply must succeed. I promise that Khaliq will never have fought a harder fight than the one we have next month." A glance at the champion's record can certainly support Dzuman's assessments. The 32-year-old, though an ABA champion in '96, has fought decent rather then outstanding opposition in his seven-year, 21 fight-record. Highlight of his curly career is a TKO 4 win over Takaloo in only his fourth outing, but he also drew with journeyman Mark Ramsey and lost on points to Frenchman Frederic Klose during that time, which remain the only blemishes on his otherwise perfect record.

Two years ago, Jawaid came off age, winning the Commonwealth welterweight title on points against Sean Sullivan. Two fights later, in June '01, he outscored wily American veteran Willy Wise, who came to fame by upsetting the great Julio Cesar Chavez, to relief the New Yorker of his IBO championship. In his three defenses since, Khaliq beat Pole Jacek Bielski (KO 5), Russia's Maxim Nesterenko (KO 12) and Jose Rosa Gomez (W 12) from the Domenican Republic.

On paper, Khaliq v Dzuman looks about as even a match as one can wish for. The titleholder has height and reach advantages, is a mobile boxer whereas Dzhuman can be a boxer or a puncher whatever is necessary, but prefers not to hunt down an elusive opponent and go for the big shots rights away. He will be helped in his preparation by former European champion Christian Bladt from Denmark, who has similar height and style to Khaliq. But if the styles can't tell us who the favorite will be, it may come down to the old who-wants-it-more question. Naturally, Krzysztof Zbarski is optimistic about his man's desire: "I have a quite belief that Roman will have his 'one moment in time' and with the world title belt around his waist I will make him a somebody in Ukraine!"