Qudratillo Abduqaxorov to face Charles Manyuchi on March 25

Photo credit: Cartel International Promotions

Mar

Qudratillo Abduqaxorov will make the bold move to upset the more experienced Charles Manyuchi on Saturday at the OCBC Arena in Singapore.

Abduqaxorov (10-0, 7 knockouts) has been very busy in his 17 months as a pro and will face his sternest challenge to date.

The Uzbekistani-born fighter sees it as a great opportunity to gatecrash the 147-pound scene.

“I believe this is a great chance for me to show that I deserve (a WBC silver) title more than Manyuchi,” Abduqaxorov told RingTV.com through manager Vikram Sivapragasm. “This fight will change my life – it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.”

Although the 23-year-old respects what Manyuchi (20-2-1, 12 KOs) brings to the fight, he is confident of victory.

“Manyuchi is a very good boxer,” Abduqaxorov explained. “He is very unorthodox and has amazing speed and heart. I feel his strength is in his super reflexes and his ability to punch from any angle or position.

“His weakness could be that he leaves his defense open to lure his opponents. This opening has risks as this is what he anticipates but I feel I can capitalize on it.”

His trainer IIgar Aliev feels the time is right to step up in class and believes his fighter to be more than capable of securing victory and advancing his career.

“I feel this will be a good fight and will give Qudratillo a very good experience,” said the trainer. “Qudratillo had put in so much hard work and faced so much hardships in his life. This is his moment.

“This will also show the world that a Uzbekistan boxer, who has excellent amateur background, has what it takes in the professional ranks.”

It will be Abdugaxorov’s fourth appearance in his home away from home, “The Lion City.”

“I am very excited because Singapore has always been a lucky charm for me as I have racked up good victories,” he said. “Furthermore, the fight fans are fantastic here. I hope to give the fans an unforgettable show.”

Sivapragasm, who manages both Abdugaxorov and his stablemate Azizbek Abdugofurov, is keen to see just how good his fighter is.

“I personally feel that today’s amateurs are almost like the pros. The only difference is the rounds,” explained the manager. “Qudratillo, with his vast experience in the amateurs, has been training all his life for this moment. I have seen Qudratillo sparring with some very good pros and I find him more than capable to take on this fight. Then again, how many more fights has Manyuchi had than Qudratillo? Doesn’t really make a difference for me.”

Will Abdugaxorov sink or swim? Saturday will be his proving ground.

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected] and you can follow him at www.twitter.com/AnsonWainwright

Struggling to locate a copy of THE RING Magazine? Try here or…

You can subscribe to the print and digital editions of THE RING Magazine by clicking the banner or here. You can also order the current issue, which is on newsstands, or back issues from our subscribe page. On the cover this month: THE RING reveals The Greatest Heavyweight of All Time.