Former WBA super middleweight champion Fedor Chudinov (22-2, 15 KOs) is looking for a firm comeback to the very top of the world even (all the more so) if this means a collision with arguably the #1 fighter in the world P4P.

“We are looking for an upcoming decision of the World Boxing Association on the status of Fedor Chudinov”, said his representative Vladimir Hryunov to the TASS media agency. “We hope for a mandatory challenger position to the title, currently owned by Canelo Alvarez. Fedor is going to have a preliminary fight, most probably on Sep. 12 in Khimki, Moscow Region”.

Chudinov, 32, is the WBA Gold 168lb champion – the belt, he has earned with a shutout decision over former middleweight titleholder Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam in December 2019, which capped off a very productive year with four wins, three of them – over Wuzhati Nuerlang, Rafael Bejaran and Ezequiel Oswaldo Maderna – inside the distance. 2018 was by far less successful for Chudinov, who “suffered a win” over Nadjib Mohammedi in a highly controversial way on the undercard of WBSS Season 1 cruiserweight Finale.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is the WBA regular champion, while the “Super” title belongs to Callum Smith, the winner of the other WBSS Season 1 Finale. Recently, Cuban David Morrell outpointed Guyanese Lennox Allen to capture the WBA Interim super middleweight title in the weight class, which already has way too many titleholders by one sanctioning body. Meanwhile, Chudinov is still listed fighting Spaniard Ronny Landaeta on August 22 in Kazan.

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A much anticipated WBC cruiserweight title eliminator between #4 ranked Alexey Papin (11-1, 10 KOs) and #5 rated compatriot Ruslan Fayfer (25-1, 16 KOs) was shifted exactly one week from its firstly approved date of August 15 and was also relocated within one country from a seaside city of Sochi to the Tatarstan capital of Kazan. The reason is anticipated yet still gruesome: a solid rise in COVID-19 cases and an entire epidemiological situation in and around Sochi, resulting in additional municipal restrictions.

The rest of the card for Aug. 22 is also in place, headlining by several intriguing regional showdowns, including those between Albert Batyrgaziev (1-0, 1 KO) and Erzhan Turgumbekov (8-0-1, 2 KOs); Khariton Agrba (3-0, 1 KO) and Soslan Tedeev (20-1, 13 KOs); Pavel Silyagin (3-0, 1 KO) and Orkhan Gadzhiev (8-0, 6 KOs); Sergey Kozhukhar (8-0-1, 2 KOs) and Batal Chezhiya (9-0-2, 3 KOs).

The show will be co-promoted by A Angels and Ratel Pro Fight with a support of the Russian Boxing Federation.

Titov/RCC Boxing Promotions, a huge Ekaterinburg-based promotional outfit led by German and Alexey Titov, will stage a solid card on August 22 at the RCC Boxing Academy, which unsuccessfully coincides with a huge show in Kazan, after the latter was moved from Aug. 15 in Sochi for COVID-19 reasons.

In the main event, WBC #7 ranked Russian Zaur Abdullaev (11-1, 7 KOs) and WBC #30 Pavel Malikov (16-1-1, 6 KOs) in a solid ten-round match-up. Abdullaev is coming off a defeat to rising star Devin Haney in September 2019, while Malikov is four fights removed from his own loss to established contender in Daud Yordan. His latest win was over former world title challenger Isa Chaniev in a close fight. Malikov is also rated #8 by the IBF and #12 by the WBO.

Young Kazakh fighter Stanislav Kalitskiy (10-0, 3 KOs) clashes against Dmitry Khasiev (9-2-2, 3 KOs) in a super featherweight ten-rounder. Also, WBA #5, WBO #7 and WBC #11 light middleweight Magomed Kurbanov (19-0, 11 KOs) will perform a tune-up versus little-known Kazakh boxer Ilya Ochkin (6-1, 2 KOs) also over ten – in preparation for bigger, more significant fights in the near future. Six more fights will constitute the rest of the card, one including Igor Adleiba (10-0, 4 KOs).

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YUKA Promotions came back with a bang this past Monday in Moscow, Russia, although the card was different to its original roster for various reasons, including COVID-10 reasons.

In the main event, light middleweight Khuseyn Baysangurov (17-1, 15 KOs) continued his recent streak of stoppages with a three-round stoppage of journeyman Pavel Mamontov (12-11-2, 1 KO), who has lost his seventh straight. Mamontov was coming off a loss to Sergey Vorobiev in early July and was stopped for injury reasons.

IBF #7 Germany-based Russian Evgueny Shvedenko moved up to 14-0, 6 KOs, with a solid, hard-fought unanimous decision over always tough-as-nails Maxim Smirnov (8-8-3, 4 KOs), who is very active this year after just one fight in nine years before that. Scores were: 80-73, 79-73 and 79-74.

Russia-based Moldovan Edgard Moskvichev (10-1-2, 4 KOs) moved to double digits in the W column after a unanimous decision over Pele Sadoyan (8-2-2, 3 KOs). Scores were: 99-91, 98-93 and 96-95.

Other results:

Basir Abakarov (6-0, 5 KOs) TKO 1 Tornike Puritchamiashvili (9-15, 6 KOs)

Isamy Mesa (2-0, 1 KO) UD 6 Karen Avetisyan (9-35-4, 4 KOs). Scores were: 60-54, 60-53 and 60-53

Vyacheslav Letovaltsev (5-1, 1 KO) TKO 2 Rustam Kerimov (0-3)

Yaroslav Bezsolov (3-0, 2 KOs) TKO 2 Evgueny Klimov (2-4-1, 1 KO)

Umar Tsomaev (4-0, 1 KO) TKO 2 Victor Konkin (0-5)