We could get a real night of exciting heavyweight action this Saturday night in Toledo, Ohio. Top of the bill, will be unbeaten heavyweight contender – some say the future of the division – Jared “Real Big Baby” Anderson, who will be shooting it out with late replacement foe (for Zhan Kossobutskiy) “Prince” Charles Williams. But the co-feature could prove to be the fight of the night.
Unbeaten Russian giant Arslanbek Makhmudov will face undefeated Nigerian big man Raphael Akeijiori. 34 year old Makhmudov is 16-0(15), 32 year old Akeijiori is currently 15-0(14). Rest assured, this one will be lively, almost certainly ending in a knockout. But who will win?
Makhmudov has been in with the better class of opposition, with the 260 pounder having picked up wins over good operators such as, Erkan Teper, Carlos Takam, Samuel Peter (a faded version), and Mariusz Wach. Akeijiori has not faced as many notable names, yet he has made a name for himself by scoring those 14 KO’s. Saturday’s fight will see the highly touted Makhmudov make his awaited US debut.
Speaking with RingTV.com, Makhmudov said it will be business as usual on Saturday night, as he will be “Like usual, go hunting and do my best to destroy him.”
Makhmudov went on to tell The Bible of Boxing how he hopes to be challenging for a world title “this year or next.” Akeijiori is planning to spoil such plans, in the process crashing into the world rankings himself.
The one man who has taken Akeijiori the distance in a pro fight is fight-anyone-anywhere warrior Terrell Jamal Woods. You may not be too familiar with Woods or what he has achieved in the ring, but you should be. The 33 year old from Forrest City has a 29-55-10(21) record, with him having taken a bunch of fights on short-notice, often in the other guy’s backyard, and he has been stopped just seven times. Woods (who will fight Kahlil Smoot on July 22), says Saturday’s fight will come down to which fighter has the better ability at hitting and not getting hit, Makhmudov or Akeijiori.
“He [Akeijiori can punch,” Woods told the writer. “He caught me with one good shot when I fought him, but that was it. [Saturday’s fight] comes down to who can hit and not get hit.”
That’s often the way with the heavyweights of course, two big guys who can whack. Woods is as durable as he is deceptively slippery, and he never went any place when Akeijiori hit him with his best stuff. Can Makhmudov absorb whatever the 6’8” Nigerian can tag him with?
Fans can look forward to a duo of potentially explosive heavyweight fights on Saturday.