Osleys Iglesias returns to action against Evgeny Shvedenko on Thursday
Rising super middleweight Osleys Iglesias will face Evgeny Shvedenko at the Montreal Casino, Montreal, on Thursday.
Iglesias, rated No. 8 by The Ring at super middleweight, respects his opponent and expects a tough fight.
“It’s going to be a great fight where you’re going to see two men who want to be the winners of the night,” Iglesias told The Ring.
“He is a very experienced competitor and comes from a country where boxers are respected for their strength and precision in their punches.”
The tall Cuban-born southpaw won his first nine fights in Europe before signing with Canadian promoter Eye of The Tiger.
He impressed in his first fight with his new club in March with a first-round knockout of the normally tough Marcelo Coceres.
“I felt satisfied with that performance,” he said. “I was the fastest boxer [to stop him] in his professional career. [He has been] in good battles and was almost eliminated [Edgar] Berlanga.”
The 26-year-old player was training in Chemnitz, in eastern Germany, alongside Georg Bramowski, who has worked with a number of boxers in his country, including Yoan Pablo Hernandez, Arthur Abraham and Jack Culcay.
The team arrived a week before the fight and Iglesias is ready to show his skills and make a statement in the division.
“I hope for something good in this battle with God’s faith ahead and walk away victorious,” he said. “I think about the future against the best in the division and I see myself as a winner, but to get to that future you have to get a chance now and I’m focused on that.”
Eye of The Tiger host Camille Estephan was very impressed with what she saw in their first fight together and hopes it’s just the beginning.
“He blew it out of the park, especially with his opponent,” said Estephan. “He made a statement. Now he has a very good opponent.
“We feel like he’s a well-known fighter for the skill he has, the skill he has, the skill he has, the ceiling he has – we’re very happy. We want big names. He is ready now, we will have to go through everything.”
Shvedenko (16-1-1, 7 KOs) became a champion in his native Russia in 2015. He claimed victories over players like Nadjib Mohammedi (UD 10) and Artur Osipov (UD 10) but lost to William Scull (UD 12) to clinch the IBF title.
The 33-year-old returned with a win and is tied with Pavel Silyagin (D 10).
This promises to be a really interesting contest, as Iglesias reveals that Shvedenko is a tough, unstoppable fighter. I don’t expect Iglesias to get past the Russian but I do expect him to use his skills to drive forward. The big question is whether you will be able to force it. If he can do that, it would be impressive. I suspect Iglesias is that good and will last 10 rounds.
Butler-Volny, along with the undercard bouts, will air on ESPN+ at 6:30 pm ET/ 3:30 pm PT. and Canada on punchinggrace.com at 6:30 pm
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].
