As fans witnessed back in February, trainer Sugarhill Steward did a great job working with Tyson Fury, the Kronk trainer coming up with a great and all-winning game plan to down Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas. Now, Sugarhill is looking to work his magic with another heavyweight; this one unbeaten Russian talent Apti Davtaev.
Davtaev, 20-0-1(19) is 30 years old (young enough these days for a heavyweight contender to be on the verge of breaking through and still have plenty of time to go for the title) and he was set to take a significant step up against Lucas Browne in Las Vegas on March 28. This fight, like all others, has been postponed due to the coronavirus problems, but the 6’5” Russian is training hard under Steward and he says he is looking forward to proving he is “one of the top names.”
“Training in Detroit has made me stronger,” Davtaev told Sky Sports. “I have a fresh new look on boxing. I’m more confident and experienced, and my power has grown immensely. I’ve also become a more aggressive fighter. I go after opponents and try to finish them, rather than just beating them. A victory over Lucas Browne is very important to me. The heavyweight division is very exciting right now with many top names, and I believe I am one of them.”
Promoted by Dmitry Salita, Davtaev went pro in March of 2013 and though he has yet to face an obviously recognizable name (the draw came in Davtaev’s ninth fight, against Ante Verunca), he has been busy, with three KO wins last year and thus far two stoppage wins scored this year. Like any other emerging fighter, Davtaev will find his progress hindered due to the coronavirus battle, but everyone in his team feels Davtaev is a genuine title threat.
Exciting to watch, Davtaev is certainly an up and coming heavyweight to keep an eye on. And with Sugarhill guiding him, Davtaev is in very good hands. In his most recent fight, Davtaev took out a 21-0 John Napari on February 21st. Let’s see how far Davtaev can go.