The owner of one of the heaviest punches in the cruiserweight division will meet the WBA world champion Cuban in the quarterfinals of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS). And while he is preparing to box abroad for the first time in his career, SE recalls his five best fights.
KUDRYASHOV VS Coke
October 26, 2013, Rostov-on-Don
Result: Kudryashov's victory by knockout in the second round
A native of Volgodonsk, his first appearances in the professional ring ensured his fame as a knockout master. After his hard hits, the opponents fell to the floor and were in no hurry to get up. None of Kudryashov's top ten fights lasted longer than five rounds, which allowed him to fight quite often.
For example, the fight with the Barbadian was Dmitry’s fifth in a year, and not the last. Cox, nicknamed Sniper, was Kudryashov’s most famous opponent at that time. In April 2012, he already came to Russia, where in the fight for the interim WBA title he was knocked out in the second round.
The second trip across half the globe was no more successful than the first. In the opening three minutes, Kudryashov, who had a noticeable advantage, knocked down Cox. And with each missed beat, the Barbadian’s enthusiasm became less and less. In the second round, Kudryashov pressed him to the ropes and finished him off with a right hand.
KUDRYASHOV vs GOMEZ
Over the next year, Kudryashov came close to the elite of his division. In his track record, in addition to winning several belts from little-known federations, he defended the title of champion of the CIS and Baltic countries according to the WBC several times and signed a contract with the promotion company of Andrei Ryabinsky.
His first fight under the auspices of the “World of Boxing” was a meeting with a veteran who holds the WBA International title Juan Carlos Gomez- this Cuban is known for lasting almost nine rounds against in 2009. But the fight with Kudryashov lasted much less. Already in the 18th second of the fight, Dmitry managed to get a cut between his opponent’s gloves. A powerful direct blow sent Gomez into a heavy knockout, and at the same time ended his career.
KUDRYASHOV vs PALACIOS
Six months passed, and Kudryashov came out for the first defense of the belt taken from Gomez. This time his opponent was chosen Francisco Palacios- Puerto Rican, who in the past twice claimed the WBC world champion belt. He lost both fights with the Latino by judicial decisions, and in the first one of the referees gave the victory to Palacios. In addition, Francisco has never lost by knockout in his entire career.
Not once - before meeting Kudryashov. This fight lasted longer than 18 seconds, but not by much. Palacios started the fight actively, all the time trying to test the Russian with blows, trying to turn on the speed. But at the end of the first minute, Kudryashov sent the Puerto Rican to the floor with a “deuce” - a left to the body, a left to the head. The consequences really were like being hit with a sledgehammer. Palacios did not get up from the ring quickly and with great difficulty.
KUDRYASHOV vs SILGADO
The victorious march of the Russian Sledgehammer was interrupted suddenly - in the fight for the WBC Silver title in November 2015, he lost to an experienced, but not very titled Nigerian. However, almost everyone has moments in their career when they need to lose in order to then take a step forward. Kudryashov returned and continued to give knockouts to his opponents.
Kudryashov made his second attempt to take the WBC silver belt at the beginning of last winter. His opponent was well known to Russian boxing fans. Silgado was a contender for the WBA belt in 2012, but he was knocked out by the same Lebedev. And a year and a half later, the Colombian lost by decision. Against Kudryashov, he lasted less than a round - Dmitry fought the fight aggressively, knocking out the desire from his opponent to actively resist. At the end of one and a half minutes, Silgado was knocked down, and almost immediately after the resumption, he missed a left side kick to the jaw - and never got up.
KUDRYASHOV vs DURODOLA
June 3, 2017, Rostov-on-Don
Result: Kudryashov's victory by knockout in the fifth round
After a couple of victories, it was time to take revenge on Durodola. By that time, the Nigerian had already lost by technical knockout the fight for the title of official contender for the WBC belt, and had also won three rating fights against little-known opponents. Therefore, by the second meeting, Kudryashov was already listed as the owner of the same WBC Silver title that went to the African in 2015.
If in the first fight the Russian may have underestimated his opponent, this time his mood was the most serious. True, if anyone thought Durodola was not a very strong boxer, he was wrong - the Nigerian is also considered a master of knockouts, of which his track record is even greater than that of Kudryashov. The fight, which took place with Dmitry's advantage, lasted a little more than four rounds - in the second, Durodola lost his mouthguard after a missed blow, and in the fourth he was knocked down. By the fifth three-minute period he came out without any apparent desire, he missed quite a lot. And the referee first counted out one more knockdown to Durodole, and then stopped the fight.
Dmitry Alexandrovich Kudryashov(October 26, 1985, Volgodonsk) - Russian professional boxer, performing in the first heavy weight category. Champion of the CIS and Slavic countries according to the WBC, international champion according to the WBA (2014-2015), master of sports in boxing and army hand-to-hand combat.
Biography
Dmitry Kudryashov was born on October 26, 1985 in the city of Volgodonsk, Rostov region. He studied at secondary school No. 22, where from the age of eight he was a member of the karate section, then at the age of thirteen he came to the Olimp-2 sports club and, under the guidance of coach Nikolai Timofeev, began to actively engage in boxing. Then he moved to Michurinsk and began to study hard, where he met E.V. Melekhov, who in the future became the main coach.
Amateur career
Over time, he quickly progressed and repeatedly became a winner at city and regional competitions. For four years he boxed in Rostov, competed for the “Labor Reserves” club, then in 2008 he was drafted into the army, served in the city of Kalach-on-Don in the 22nd OBRON VV “Cobra”. In January 2011, he won the VII All-Russian class “A” boxing tournament “Spartak Cup”, for which he was awarded the title of Master of Sports. In total, he fought about 150 fights at the amateur level, of which he was defeated in only 12.
Professional career
In the summer of the same year, Kudryashov decided to try himself in professional boxing; on July 30, in the village of Kushchevskaya, his debut fight took place against the Ukrainian Alexander Ohrey, whom he confidently defeated by knockout in the third round. Having won four more unconditional victories, in October 2012, in a match with Uzbek Isroil Kurbanov, he won the vacant WBC champion belt of the CIS and Slavic countries. In October 2013, he knocked out the famous Barbadian boxer Sean Cox.
Contract with the World of Boxing company
In October 2014, Kudryashov entered into a promotional contract with the Russian company World of Boxing.
On November 28, 2014, he knocked out former world heavyweight champion Cuban Juan Carlos Gomez in the 1st round and won the WBA International title.
On April 10, 2015, he knocked out the former contender for the world heavyweight title, Puerto Rican Francisco Palacios, in the 1st round.
On November 4, 2015, being a clear favorite, he sensationally lost by knockout in the 2nd round to the Nigerian Olanrewaju Durodola.
On December 3, 2016, he knocked out the former contender for the world heavyweight title, Colombian Santander Silgado, in the 1st round.
Professional fight statistics
The table lists the results of all boxing matches. Each line indicates the result of the match. Additionally, the match number is indicated by a color that indicates the result of the match. Explanation of symbols and colors is presented in the table below.
| The battle | date | Rival | Location | Rounds | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2017 | Olanrewaju Durodola (25-3) | Rostov-on-Don, Russia | (12) | Defense of the WBC Silver title, and a fight for the status of a mandatory challenger for a fight with the WBC world champion in the 1st heavyweight division. | ||
| 20-1 | December 3, 2016 | Santander Silgado (27-3) | Megasport, Moscow, Russia | KO1 (12), 1:34 | Won the vacant WBC Silver 1st heavyweight title. | |
| 19-1 | May 21, 2016 | Julio Cesar dos Santos (30-5) | Megasport, Moscow, Russia | TKO4 (10) | The fight was stopped by the seconds. | |
| 18-1 | November 4, 2015 | Olanrewaju Durodola (21-2) | Tatneft Arena, Kazan, Russia | TKO2 (12) | Fight for the vacant WBC Silver 1st heavyweight title. | |
| 18-0 | May 22, 2015 | Vikapita Meroro (27-4) | Luzhniki, Moscow, Russia | KO6 (10) | Meroro was knocked down twice in the 6th round. | |
| 17-0 | April 10, 2015 | Francisco Palacios (23-2) | Luzhniki, Moscow, Russia | KO1 (12) | WBA International title (1st defense of Kudryashov). | |
| 16-0 | November 28, 2014 | Juan Carlos Gomez (55-3) | Luzhniki, Moscow, Russia | KO1 (10) | WBA International title (Gomez's 1st defense). | |
| 15-0 | October 18, 2014 | Julian Ilie (20-7-2) | RTD2 (10) | |||
| 14-0 | May 23, 2014 | Ivica Bakurin (17-6-1) | SC "Basket Hall", Krasnodar, Russia | KO7 (12) | WBC CIS & SBB 1st heavyweight title (3rd defense of Kudryashov). | |
| 13-0 | March 27, 2014 | Lubos Suda (31-9-1) | RC “Wonderland”, Novorossiysk, Russia | TKO2 (12) | WBC CIS & SBB 1st heavyweight title (2nd defense of Kudryashov). | |
| 12-0 | November 30, 2013 | Zach Mwekassa (14-3) | DS "Triumph", Lyubertsy, Russia | KO1 (12) | ||
| 11-0 | October 26, 2013 | Sean Cox (17-3) | Express, Rostov-on-Don, Russia | KO2 (12) | Vacant GBU world heavyweight title. | |
| 10-0 | September 28, 2013 | Ruslan Semenov (3-24-1) | Bentley Centre, Barvikha, Russia | KO5 (6) | ||
| 9-0 | May 25, 2013 | Prince George Ankong (15-5-1) | Olympus, Volgodonsk, Russia | TKO5 (12) | Vacant world 1st heavyweight title according to UBO. | |
| 8-0 | March 30, 2013 | Levan Jomardashvili (29-8) | TKO3 (12) | WBC CIS & SBB 1st heavyweight title (1st defense of Kudryashov). | ||
| 7-0 | February 16, 2013 | Semyon Pakhomov (debut) | Shopping center "Moscow", Kaspiysk, Russia | KO1 (8) | In the 1st round, Pakhomov was knocked down. | |
| 6-0 | October 13, 2012 | Isroil Kurbanov (7-7-1) | Galich Hall, Krasnodar, Russia | TKO5 (12) | Vacant WBC CIS & SBB 1st heavyweight title. | |
| 5-0 | May 1, 2012 | Alexey Varagushin (debut) | Krylatskoye, Moscow, Russia | TKO1 (6) | ||
| 4-0 | March 16, 2012 | Ovadia Mwangi (4-5-1) | Circus, Krasnodar, Russia | TKO1 (8) | ||
| 3-0 | November 19, 2011 | Konstantin Ohrey (18-29-3) | Express, Rostov-on-Don, Russia | TKO4 (6) | Okhrey was knocked down in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. | |
| 2-0 | September 25, 2011 | Vyacheslav Shcherbakov (3-13-1) | Olympus, Krasnodar, Russia | RTD1 (6) | Shcherbakov was knocked down twice in the 1st round. | |
| 1-0 | July 30, 2011 | Alexander Ohrey (debut) | SC, Art. Kushchevskaya, Russia | KO3 (3) | Okhrey was knocked down in the 1st round. |
Personal life
Kudryashov enters the ring to the song “Sledgehammer,” which was recorded especially for him by rapper Dima Stereo. In addition to boxing, he works in the security service at the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant and is an honorary citizen of Volgodonsk. Married, has a daughter. In addition to boxing, he is interested in hockey and history.
What happened in the quarterfinal fight of the World Boxing Super Series did not come as a surprise to many, many boxing experts and fans. Yes, a considerable number of them still hoped for a miracle. But the miracle did not happen. The undefeated Cuban Yunier Dorticos knocked Dmitry Kudryashov to the canvas of the ring already in the second round. He laid it out so convincingly that there can be no questions: Russian Sledgehammer is not a fighter for the elite boxing division. At least for now. And given Dmitry’s age, thirty-one, he has practically no time to try to break into this division again, and most importantly, to correct his technical flaws.
Hit like a sledgehammer
For a long time it seemed that Dmitry Kudryashov was the future big champion. It’s not just that he easily, he just amazingly crashed with all his opponents in the professional ring, literally knocking them out of the ring with a double left on “two floors.” And, in general, he boxed mainly with power punches. And these blows were such that Kudryashov was given the nickname “Russian Sledgehammer.” However, experts already noted that Dmitry did not have any truly strong rivals, and we cannot judge his technical equipment. For example, about his speed and level of protection.
"And eternal battle"
In general, Kudryashov has been associated with martial arts sports since childhood. Already at school he began to practice karate at the age of eight, and at the age of thirteen he went into boxing. And there I found myself. At least he performed well at various Rostov city and regional competitions. The army also marched under the motto “Strike first, Dima!” Kudryashov served not just anywhere, but in the Kalachevsk separate operational (special) brigade of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation “Cobra”. So Kudryashov did not fall out of the “shock squad”. In 2011, he became a master of sports in boxing, winning the all-Russian class “A” tournament. He is also a master of sports in hand-to-hand combat. Dmitry’s amateur record includes one hundred and fifty fights with twelve defeats. This is very good. But, on the other hand, you won’t find victories in truly big tournaments from amateur Kudryashov. At twenty-six he decided to go professional.
"World of Boxing"
Already in the summer of the same 2011, Dmitry, in his first fight in the professional field, dealt with the unknown Ukrainian boxer Alexander Okhrey, knocking him out in the third round. Then there were more equally insignificant victories. And so, in 2012, Kudryashov took the then vacant title of champion of the CIS countries and Slavic countries according to the WBC. Frankly speaking, it’s not that great, but the Russian boxer got it in a fair fight with the Uzbek Isroil Kurbanov. In 2014, Kudryashov entered into a contract with the Russian promotion company World of Boxing, having previously knocked out Sean Cox from Barbados the year before. Sean Cohn is already a more famous name than, say, Alexander Ohrey. He even lost by knockout to Denis Lebedev. So he lost to Kudryashov by knockout.
Amazing, but in the minor leagues
It should be recalled here that Dmitry Kudryashov won all his victories in the professional ring, twenty-one, by knockout. Yes, this was not the most serious opposition in the pro boxing environment, but there were also quite famous names. For example, former world champion Juan Carlos Gomez. Yes, this Cuban was the champion in 1998-2002, but even then he was, in general, in plain sight. True, at the time of the fight with Kudryashov he was already 41 years old, but, having knocked out Gomez in the first round, Dmitry received the WBA International title. The same age can include the Puerto Rican boxer Francisco Palacios and the same age Julio Cesar dos Santos. There was also a fight for the WBC Silver title with Colombian boxer Santandero Silgado. Dmitry ended up with the belt.
Freestanding Duradola
Yes, indeed, the thirty-six-year-old Nigerian boxer Olanrewaju Duradola, who has not won significant belts, stands apart in the list of Dmitry Kudryashov’s fights. It just so happened that it was he who became the first real examiner of the Russian sledgehammer on the subject of what he would be worth in fights with opponents from the major boxing league. Kudryashov, who had never been beaten before, began the fight in his usual confident manner as a puncher. In the first round, he almost dropped Duradola to the floor, but he resisted. At the same time, it should be noted that already in this very round, Dmitry’s corner should have been alerted by the Nigerian’s activity and absolute lack of fear of Kudryashov’s blows. And in the second round, Olanrewaju began throwing a lot of punches. And these blows turned out to be no less severe than those of Kudryashov.
And Dmitry, as it turned out, does not know how to work on his feet in such hail. He kept trying to take blows on his gloves only to immediately explode himself. But, firstly, the defense turned out to be full of holes, and the Russian boxer couldn’t handle strong blows, and this was a revelation. He swam. The fight was stopped.
Revenge, but...
It is clear that after this a revenge was needed. Necessarily. Yes, Dmitry won two more fights, but it didn’t mean anything. He had to prove to everyone and to himself that the defeat by the “hitting” Nigerian was an accident, that everything was in order with his defense and technique, that his legs were working, that he could still handle the blows. It must be said that in the rematch, precisely in the second round, and then in the third, there came moments when it seemed that there would now be a repeat of what had happened. But Dmitry tied up his opponent in time. And he punched so hard that in the third round, after his left hook, Duradola’s mouth guard flew out somewhere almost to the eighth row.
The Nigerian was knocked down in the fourth and fifth rounds. And in the same fifth round the judge was forced to stop the beating. Revenge? Undoubtedly! But there was never a full answer to the question about the reliability of Kudryashov’s defense.
World Boxing Super Series
And here Dmitry Kudryashov was incredibly lucky. As well as all those who wanted him to test himself at the highest level. The World Boxing Super Series tournament was organized. German promoter Kalle Sauerland and American promoter Richard Schafer sensitively sensed the public's dissatisfaction with the abundance of boxing organizations, each of which has its own world champions, and even the most diverse ones - sometimes super, sometimes temporary, sometimes regular, or God knows what else. People want to understand which of these champions is truly a champion, a true champion. People want a return to the days of Ali. And these two promoters managed to persuade the leadership of the main boxing organizations to hold a tournament that would reveal the absolute champion. And they managed to find investors. We started small, with tournaments in two weight categories. In the first heavy and super middleweights. On the one hand - the champions, on the other - the closest contenders. Eight boxers in each weight. At stake is the title of absolute champion, a prize fund of fifty million dollars, diamond belts from the WBC and the Muhammad Ali Cup.
Good company
Dmitry Kudryashov expressed a desire to participate in this tournament. And, surprisingly, the organizers gave him such an opportunity. Why is it surprising? Let's remember the participants in the Kudryashov weight tournament. Alexander Usyk, Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev, Yunier Dorticos, Marco Huck, Mike Perez, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk... These are all serious names. By and large, everything has already been proven to everyone. Well, perhaps Wlodarczyk and Perez were preferable to Kudryashov. But he got Dorticos.
Doctor Knockout
You see, it’s not to say that Dorticos was such an outstanding boxer. No. He is the WBA cruiserweight champion, but, frankly speaking, he has no victories over outstanding boxers. I could have met with Murat Gassiev, but that fight was cancelled. However, Dorticos is still a world champion. He is very technical, fast, agile, striking - Doctor Knockout (he won only one victory not by knockout), with an excellent Cuban school. In short, it was he who was considered the favorite in the fight with Kudryashov.
Disassembled for “spare parts”
Yunier did not let down those who relied on him. In the first round it might have seemed that the fight was equal, and Kudryashov had a chance. The boxers acted slowly, inflicting rather sensitive blows on each other. But Dorticos wasn't shocked, other than angry. But it was noticeable from Kudryashov that he fully realized the power of his opponent. In the second round, the Cuban turned on the speed and movement. And Kudryashov died. He was late with defensive actions, he didn’t move, he took series of defenses, he didn’t leave or go into the clinch, he had no speed at all. Then Dorticos threw two accurate rights, a left to the body, a blow to the head and... that’s it. It is clear that no one is closing the door in front of Dmitry, but after such a convincing defeat, a couple of years must pass to again force the top boxing society to give you a chance. But most importantly, thirty-one is already the age when months and years begin to go negative. And Kudryashov’s task is to correct flaws in technique and not just maintain his condition, but become faster and more agile. This, you see, is incredibly difficult. I would like to be wrong, but it seems that Dmitry will have to forget about the big championship.
– Dmitry, what do you know about your next opponent – multiple WBC champion title contender Puerto Rican Francisco Palacios?
– In February, he won a quick knockout victory, and therefore, I am sure that my opponent is in optimal condition. During his 11-year professional career, Palacios suffered only two defeats, both to then world champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. Moreover, in the first case, it seems to me that the judges gave the Pole a dubious victory on points. Palacios moves a lot and doesn't allow himself to be hit. This is a very strong boxer.
– Cuban Gomez was also considered a strong boxer, but you dealt with him in 19 seconds. Maybe he disappointed you?
– I managed to beautifully and brilliantly defeat a famous boxer – what kind of disappointment can we talk about here!? And when to win - in the first round or in the tenth, I think, is not so important.
– Two of the four championship belts in your weight category are held by Russians Grigory Drozd and Denis Lebedev. Besides, you are all from the same promotion company. It turns out that you don’t have much room for maneuver?
– You are right, but I really want to win the title. Whoever owns it when I get close to the championship fight is the one I will box with. We are all professionals, so if a promoter brings us together, we will fight. Why not? Everyone must go into the ring and do their job well. If you have to fight one of our guys, no problem.
– By the way, what is your relationship with Lebedev and Drozd?
– We communicate normally with Grigory. Unfortunately, I hardly know Denis yet.
– Your division is called the most Russian. In addition to the named athletes, the top 15 of the ranking includes you and Rakhim Chakhkiev. Why the first heavy weight?
- Coincidence. Well, in general, Russia is now taking the lead in world boxing. And in many categories. We have Sergey Kovalev, and Evgeniy Gradovich, and Ruslan Provodnikov, and Alexander Povetkin... Each of them is a first-class fighter.
– But our promoters, if we talk about the level of organization of boxing shows, the amount of fees and the ability to make champions out of first-class fighters, are still far from their Western colleagues...
– I don’t consider my opinion on this issue competent, since I myself have never collaborated with leading American promoters. I can only say one thing: our company “World of Boxing,” even though it was created relatively recently, holds really big shows. For example, the fight between Vladimir Klitschko and Povetkin was a global event. I think our organization already occupies one of the leading positions.
– The boxing community has been looking for an answer to the question for several years: is it possible to defeat Klitschko... What do you say?
- There are chances. Deontay Wilder has proven himself to be quite good lately. 32 wins by knockout is an impressive statistic. On the other hand, the American is still an untested guy. He didn’t have any tough fights, and his January fight with Canadian Bermane Stiverne for the WBC belt didn’t reveal many nuances. In that fight, it was not so much Wilder himself who was good, but Stiverne who was bad. So the Ukrainian is still the favorite.
– You started your professional career a little less than four years ago. What prompted you to do this?
– I’ll be honest: I once started boxing simply because of the opportunity to make money. By that time, I was already involved in hand-to-hand combat and some other martial arts. But boxing brought in the biggest profits. I started to succeed in a new sport.
– When, by the way, did you realize this?
– I have long dreamed of getting into the professional ring. However, for a native of a provincial town such a dream seemed unrealistic. But with the first successes at the amateur level, the process began. Since then, I have been gradually moving towards my goal and now I am setting myself the most serious tasks. I want to achieve a lot here.
– What were your results as an amateur?
– There were no special achievements. He fulfilled the standard of a master of sports, and then moved to hand-to-hand combat. It was necessary to feed the family.
– Is it true that if it weren’t for boxing, you would have become a hockey player?
– Yes, I really like hockey. This is a real man's sport, tough and beautiful. I really wanted to get on my skates and pick up a stick, but in the south of Russia hockey is not very developed...
– Do you support any club?
– Only for the national team. I try not to miss a single match of hers.
– You still work in the security service of the Rostov NPP. How do you manage to combine this activity with sports?
– Of course, they let me go to training camp. And when I’m in Volgodonsk, I train, as they say, without interruption from production.
– How did your formidable nickname – Sledgehammer – come about?
- I have no idea. It’s just that at some point they started announcing me like that when entering the ring. To be honest, I don’t really like this nickname myself. It smacks of rudeness and uncouthness, but I have always strived to show smart and prudent boxing. If it were up to me, I would do without a nickname at all.
– Until now, you have completed your battles ahead of schedule. What if you have to spend all the required 12 rounds in the ring. Ready?
- Quite. At the same time, I’m not going to artificially prolong the fights, as some advise me. I am firmly convinced that the battle must be ended as soon as such an opportunity arises.
– For now you perform exclusively in Russia...
– I understand what you’re getting at. I won’t lie, someday I would like to try my hand at America, because it is the Mecca of professional boxing. Fighting there is the brightest thing that can happen in a boxer’s life.
A brainstorming session for entrepreneurs on the topic “Motivation for properly achieving goals” is scheduled for Wednesday, October 5, in Volgodonsk, Rostov region. Success in any business, the organizers believe, depends on the state in which you work. The conversation will be about how to set goals, go towards them and achieve them, as stated in the announcement, “with world-class professional boxer Dmitry Kudryashov.”
In Volgodonsk they greatly respect and support their fellow countryman, who performs in the first heavy weight category, the champion of the CIS and Slavic countries according to the WBC, the champion of WBC Silver, the international champion according to WBA (2014-2015) Dmitry Kudryashov.
But in fairness, it must be said that, having lost another fight in the USA on September 23, the athlete did not achieve his goal.
“Boom - and take it away!”
Let us remind you that Don boxer Dmitry Kudryashov, nicknamed “Russian Sledgehammer,” was defeated by Cuban Yunier Dorticos (“Doctor Knockout”) in the second minute of the second round.
“Boom - and take it away!”, he will say, not without regret Sport Express columnist Andrey Bazdrev, analyzing the picture of the battle, adding: “But Kudryashov was described as the most terrible Russian of those with whom you can fight. The public admires his red beard no less than his heavy blow.”
It seemed that only the lazy did not say that the Don boxer would win. But it didn't happen.
As a result, the Cuban retained his WBA Regular world title and reached the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS), and on October 21 he will meet the winner of the fight between Murat Gassiev and Pole Krzysztof Wolodarczyk.
And 31-year-old Dmitry Kudryashov has one more defeat, with 21 victories by knockout. In 2015, Kudryashov lost to the Nigerian by technical knockout in the second round in a fight for the vacant WBC Silver belt.
"Our people are evil"
Posted by ryabinskiy (@ryabinskiy) Sep 24, 2017 at 9:25 am PDT
“Does he deserve a title shot?”
But are critical fans really so wrong? It turned out that their statements were consistent with the opinion of boxing experts.
Famous Russian commentator Vladimir Gendlin admitted: he was disappointed with the Russian’s performance and believes that in the battle with the Cuban, the Volgodonsk resident not only did not show superiority in combat thinking, but did not even understand his opponent.
“You had to try to figure out who was in front of you. A smart boxer reads both the opponent's signals and pre-signals. But here everything depends on combat intelligence. Dorticos is also not a cunning man, but he realized that everything here is so simple: work smarter and get ahead of the game, and everything will be fine,” says the commentator.
For the sake of objectivity, it should be noted that neither fans nor experts had time to see in one and a half rounds how much the Russian boxer had changed after the first defeat.
He prepared for the fight in the States, where his coach was Mexican Manuel Robles. “And his athletes change a lot,” experts say. -There's a lot to pick up there. If a person wants, he grows very quickly.”
Despite the coach's potential, the super series is over for Dmitry Kudryashov. Will he have enough time to prepare for and fight another title fight?
Vladimir Gendlin:“I’m not sure that such a fight is for him ( Kudryashov - approx. ed.) to come. Did he deserve it?...
“He can’t box”
Russian boxer Maxim Vlasov This is how I appreciated my colleague’s performance.
“I respect every boxer who gets into the ring and does his job. And there is no gloating, I even feel sorry for Dmitry in terms of physical damage, but I think. He will recover quickly.
But everyone saw that he didn’t succeed. He knows how to hit, but this time he couldn’t. But he doesn’t know how to box, so the more technical boxer won.”
Judging by the reviews, none of the specialists saw the Russian’s plan for the fight. There were developments, tasks to hit the body more. They are effective, “but you can’t limit yourself to this, you need to know and be able to do more elements, diversely, technically. Dmitry doesn’t have this, that’s why this is the result.”
Two-time Olympic champion Alexey Tishchenko:“Dmitry didn’t seem to receive any strong blows, but for some reason he always left his opponent’s attacks unanswered. Probably I wasn’t ready for this fight or wasn’t in the mood. It feels like I was indifferent to the fight.”
If you criticize, suggest
Now Dmitry, in order to achieve a new goal, will have to work on his mistakes.
First of all, experts advise restoring your health and psyche. “It’s one thing when you lose on points, it’s another when you lose for the second time and it’s so hard.”
The second is to gain speed: this time “Sledgehammer” was losing speed with every second and was much slower than its opponent.
Third, change either the coach or the style and feel yourself in space. “He didn’t realize at all that he was already pressed against the ropes. It is unforgivable for a person of his caliber to make such mistakes; only a third-rate person could find himself in such a position.”
State Duma deputy, ex-world middleweight boxing champion Dmitry Pirog:
“Dorticos has more dangerous weapons: he is taller and his arm span is more than meters. He came from amateur boxing, but manages to box at medium and close range. And if Dmitry could neutralize his strong right hand, do a lot of work with his left hand and not just miss or even invest in a one-time blow, but hit through the opponent’s hand, the pattern of the fight would have developed and Dima would have looked better.”
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