In an uneasy time for the world, with two neighboring nations on the battlefield, German Titov of the RCC Boxing Promotions continues to work in a “business-as-usual” style, trying to stage solid pugilistic cards in his Ural citadels. Limitations are present and well-felt, but Titov manages to stage solid cards even during days of sorrow and despair. 

This Friday, September 8th, RCC Boxing Promotions will visit Chelyabinsk with a solid multi-fight card, one of its best over the last eighteen months. There will be nine solid clashes, but two of them really stand out.

In an important super middleweight clash, two Russians collide as TBRB #6 (and WBA #13) rated Pavel Silyagin (13-0, 6 KOs) is taking on ex-IBF top-rated Russian Evgeny Shvedenko (16-1, 7 KOs) over ten rounds.

Lanky stylist Silyagin, 30, fought once this year when he stopped Colombian puncher Leonard Carillo in four rounds in March. Silyagin’s biggest year was 2021, when he unanimously decisioned previously undefeated Uzbek Azizbek Abdugofurov (13-0), and long-time fringe contender and former title challenger Isaac Chilemba (26-7-3 at the time).

Shvedenko, 33, who started his career in 2015, competed mostly in Germany, and it’s where he suffered his only loss to 18-0 Cuban William Scull in a competitive fight in July 2022. In his most recent fight last November, Shvedenko stopped aging 21-9 Colombian veteran Carlos Saenz. He also has wins over Roman Shkarupa and Nadjib Mohammedi among others.

In another all-Russian encounter, lightweight Zaur Abdullaev (17-1, 10 KOs) clashed against undefeated veteran Roman Andreev (25-0, 17 KOs), also over ten.

29-year-old Abdullaev, who is officially licensed by the Armenian boxing authority, is ranked #13 by three different sanctioning bodies – WBC, WBA, and WBO. He started his pro career in 2017 and just two and a half years after that, found himself well over his head against Devin Haney, who stopped him in five rounds to become a newly crowned WBC Interim 135lb titlist. Abdullaev regrouped with a series of wins, including a unanimous decision over ex-WBC champion Dejan Zlaticanin and a dramatic twelfth-round stoppage of former three-division champion Jorge Linares. In his most recent outing, Abdullaev looked solid in dropping and widely outpointing Panamanian import Ricardo Nunez.

37-year-old puncher Andreev started his career in 2008, but periods of solid activity were often mixed with lengthy layoffs. Andreev’s best career time came in the mid-to-late 10’s, when he was ranked #1 by the WBO but never got his title chance. He hasn’t been seen in the ring since June 2021, when he outpointed Nicaraguan Freddy Fonseca for a vacant WBA Gold lightweight belt. His biggest wins were against 27-4 Filipino Rolando Magbanua (2016), UK’s Craig Evans (2017), and fellow compatriot Pavel Malikov (2020) – all by way of stoppage.

Three more fights are no less entertaining as they feature solid professionals in cross-roaders of different sorts.

Local lightweight favorite Vildan Minasov (11-1, 7 KOs) is set to take on ex-WBA super featherweight champion Rene Alvarado in what is advertised to be the main event of the show. Minasov, 26, has only lost to talented Tajik Bahodur Usmonov. He is currently on a winning streak which includes a one-sided unanimous decision over ancient former WBA lightweight beltholder Paulus Moses in 2022.

Alvarado (33-13, 22 KOs), now 34, has mixed results fighting fighters from Russia. His split decision over 38-3-1 Denis Shafikov in late 2017 paved the way for Alvarado to contest and then win a major belt in a rematch against Andrew Cancio in 2019. He lost it in his very first outing to Roger Gutierrez in 2021 and then lost four more fights in a row, the last one to Mark Urvanov, also in Russia.

Ex-amateur standout Khariton Agrba (11-0, 7 KOs) is set to fight Panamanian southpaw Alexander Duran (21-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Light welterweight Agrba, 27, has stoppage wins over veteran Spanish Russian Petr Petrov in 2021 and ex-unified 140lb champion Julius Indongo. Duran lost to 23-1 Carlos Sanchez on points in his first fight outside of Panama. He has victories over 28-2 Adrian Estrella and veteran contender Ammeth Diaz in his past.

In yet another intrinsic clash, light welterweight Ivan Kozlovskiy (8-0, 4 KOs) battles ex-IBF lightweight title challenger Isa Chaniev (15-4-1, 7 KOs). Kozlovskiy stopped the aforementioned Indongo in just a round this year, while Chaniev had wins over Ismael Barroso, Jean Pierre Bauwens, and Juan Martin Elorde in his past. He lost on a quick KO to Richard Commey in his bid for the IBF title.

Four more eight-round fights are rounding this card:

• Middleweight Vadim Tukov (11-0, 4 KOs) faces South African and ABU champion and kayo artist John Bopape (14-8, 13 KOs) 

• Light-punching but resilient super featherweight Ivan Chirkov (10-0, 2 KO) will be featured against Venezuelan Edixon Perez (27-8-1, 21 KOs) 

• Uzbek super middleweight Odiljon Aslonov (4-0-1, 2 KOs) is set to clash against Congolese Erick Katompa (9-2-1, 3 KOs)

• 38-year-old heavyweight Evgeny Romano (18-0, 12 KOs), who’s best known for his amateur KO win over Deontay Wilder, and who has wins over Dmitry Kudryashov and Sergey Lyakhovich as a pro, battles 42-year-old Wilmer Vazquez (12-1-2, 8 KOs), a 2004 Olympian for Venezuela.

Weights for primary fights were controlled and written down today in Chelyabinsk:

• Vildan Minasov 135 vs. Rene Alvarado 133.4

• Zaur Abdullaev 137.6 vs. Roman Andreev 137.3

• Pavel Silyagin 167.7 vs. Evgueny Shvedenko 167.9

• Khariton Agrba 141.5 vs. Alexander Duran 145.4

• Vadim Tukov 163 vs. John Bopape 159

• Evgueny Romanov 232.1 vs. Wilmer Vaszquez 297