The scene has been set for the first major boxing event in Russia this year. Its stars and chief competitors – WBA cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev and WBA interim cruiserweight titleholder Youri Kayembre Kalenga – took part in open workouts before Friday's big event.

In the main event on Friday, TBRB #3 rated cruiserweight Denis Lebedev (26-2, 20 KOs) will risk his WBA title against his mandatory challenger and WBA #1 / TBRB #8 ranked Frenchman (originally from Congo) Youri Kayembre Kalenga  (21-1, 14 KOs).

Lebedev, 35, is making the fourth defense of his title. He is 2-1 doing so with kayo wins over Santander Silgado (KO 4 in Dec. 2012) and Pawel Kolodziej (KO 2 in Sep. 2014) and with a memorable loss to Panamanian Guillermo Jones (TKO 11 in May 2013), which hasn’t been ruled over (unlike it consequences) despite a fact Jones was caught using illegal substances.

Kalenga, 27, put himself on everyone’s radar with a KO 1 win over 20-0 prospect Yago Kiladze in June 2013. He was then upset by 11-18-3 journeyman Arturs Kulikauskis but came back strong with three consecutive stoppage victories, a split decision over Mateusz Masternak for the interim WBA title, and then defended it on the road against Canadian Denton Daley with the last-round stoppage.