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Lem’s Latest: Anatoliy Dudchenko training with Chris Byrd

Fighters Network
07
Jan

International Profibox-Gala in Oldenburg Anatoliy Dudchenko - Robert Woge

By Lem Satterfield

Ukrainian light heavyweight fringe contender Anatoliy Dudchenko is being trained by former heavyweight titleholder Chris Byrd, Dudchenko’s manager, Vince Caruso, informed RingTV.com.

“We’ve been through a lot of different trainers. Since I’ve been with him, we’ve already switched trainers twice,” said Caruso. Dudchenko is a winner of 16 straight fights, 10 by knockout, and signed a promotional agreement with Main Events last week.



“We needed to find the right one to bring out the raw talent that this guy has. I think that we’ve got the best one now that he’s working with Chris Byrd down in San Diego. Anatoliy loves him. Anatoliy loves working with Chris Byrd, which has been going on for about a month.”

A 35-year-old who is nicknamed “The Gladiator,” Dudchenko (18-2, 12 knockouts) stands 6-foot-3 and is coming off a unanimous decision over Robert Woge (12-1, 10 KOs) in October.

“Chris took a look at him, approached me, and said ‘this guy is something else. He’s got punching power, and I want to work with him.’ A lot of fighters ask me to work with him, and I have to turn them down,” said Caruso.

“But he said, ‘Vince, please, if he can dome down to San Diego, I want to work with Anatoliy.’ His style is like Chris Byrd’s style and Sergio Martinez’s style. Anatoliy has such a high boxing IQ, it’s unbelievable.”

Main Events already has 175-pound WBO beltholder Sergey Kovalev (23-0-1, 21 KOs) in its stable.

 

DUSTY HERNANDEZ-HARRISON RETURNS ON JAN. 31

Welterweight Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (19-0, 11 KOs) of Washington, D.C., will face Philadelphia’s Tim Witherspoon Jr. (10-3-1, 2 KOs) in an eight-round bout on ESPN2 on Jan. 31 from the Richard J. Cody Arena in West Orange, N.J., according to a report.

Harrison, 19, was last in the ring for November’s first-round stoppage of Marlon Lewis.

 

TEON KENNEDY SIGNS WITH CLUB 1957 MANAGEMENT

Philadelphia junior lightweight Teon Kennedy, a winner of two straight fights since falling by fifth-round knockout to Guillermo Rigondeaux as a junior featherweight in 2012, has signed with Mark Cipparone’s Club 1957 management.

A 27-year-old with a mark of 19-2-2 that includes seven knockouts, Kennedy has scored consecutive unanimous-decision victories over Joselito Collado and Carlos Vinan.

Kennedy had been struggling to make the 122-pound junior featherweight limit, and decided to skip featherweight (126 pounds) in order to fight as a 130-pounder.”I decided to sign with Mark after what I have seen that he has done with his other fighters. He takes good care of his fighters, and I don’t mean with money,” said Kennedy, who is trained by Wade and Randy Hinnant.

“He gives great advice about life, and he has already provided me with a good strength and conditioning program. I feel I need two more fights and I will be in a good spot. I know that Mark and my promoter, Russell Peltz, are on the same page and have a good plan going forward.”

 

Photo by Martin Rose-Bongarts/Getty Images

 

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