PHILADELPHIA -- Boxing can be a funny sport. It's a sport where a fighter can be ranked high enough by a sanctioning body to get a title shot despite not being ranked in the top 15 by any other sanctioning body. With that said, it's time for another edition of "how the hell did he get a title fight?" On March 30, on ESPN, WBC light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk will take on Doudou Ngumbu. The WBC has Ngumbu ranked eighth while he is outside the top 15 in the WBA, WBO, and IBF rankings.
Despite an undefeated record and more than a few bruising knockouts on his resume Gvozdyk remains an underrated fighter. He is an excellent mix of skill and power. Gvozdyk is equipped with a strong jab and an excellent straight right hand and he can do damage with that right hand or a mean left hook. Going by the nickname 'The Nail,' Gvozdyk never gets out of position or overly aggressive and his calm temperament is perhaps his best attribute.
Hailing from Ukraine, Gvozdyk didn't start fighting professionally until he was 26. Among his notable victories are wins over Isaac Chilemba, Yunieski Gonzalez, and Adonis Stevenson. The victory over Stevenson saw Gvozdyk leave the ring the the WBC strap Stevenson had held since beating Chad Dawson in 2013. It was a spectacular stoppage win for Gvozdyk but unfortunately left Stevenson with a traumatic brain injury that he is still recovering from. Now Gvozdyk, and famed trainer Teddy Atlas who he first worked with for the Stevenson fight, will look to make the first defense of that WBC title in a division ripe with talent.
At 37 years old this will probably be Ngumbu's last shot at a world title. In nearly every category of importance Ngumbu will be at a disadvantage against Gvozdyk. He doesn't have very fast hands or much power and his skills are far from the elite level. The veteran fighter has an easy breezy style out of the orthodox stance and while that might sound good it actually means he doesn't put much power on his punches or do a sufficient job of protecting himself. While Ngumbu does have a decent right hand he tends to really leave himself open for return fire, especially when he's throwing his power punches.
Somehow with eight career losses and no notable wins, Ngumbu has earned himself a title shot. He and Gvozdyk have one common opponent in Chilemba. While Gvozdyk forced Chilemba to retire on his stool, Ngumbu didn't have as much luck and lost via unanimous decision. Ngumbu has also lost to Andrzej Fonfara and dropped three decision to Igor Mikhalkin, a fighter best known for being stopped by Sergey Kovalev.
This fight should be all Gvozdyk. It isn't that Ngumbu is such a bad fighter that he will embarrass himself in the ring, it's just that there are levels to this sport. Gvozdyk is one of, if not the best light heavyweight in boxing right now. He has skills and power and has beaten much better fighters than Ngumbu. No rational person would rank Ngumbu among the top 10 light heavyweights in boxing and should he last all 12 rounds he should look at that as a moral victory.
PREDICTION: Oleksandr Gvozdyk is going to win this fight. Doudou Ngumbu won't embarrass himself but he also won't pose much of a threat to the champion. Enjoy the fight while it lasts because Gvozdyk will stop Ngumbu in the seventh round.
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| Gvozdyk punishing Adonis Stevenson with a left hook |
Hailing from Ukraine, Gvozdyk didn't start fighting professionally until he was 26. Among his notable victories are wins over Isaac Chilemba, Yunieski Gonzalez, and Adonis Stevenson. The victory over Stevenson saw Gvozdyk leave the ring the the WBC strap Stevenson had held since beating Chad Dawson in 2013. It was a spectacular stoppage win for Gvozdyk but unfortunately left Stevenson with a traumatic brain injury that he is still recovering from. Now Gvozdyk, and famed trainer Teddy Atlas who he first worked with for the Stevenson fight, will look to make the first defense of that WBC title in a division ripe with talent.
At 37 years old this will probably be Ngumbu's last shot at a world title. In nearly every category of importance Ngumbu will be at a disadvantage against Gvozdyk. He doesn't have very fast hands or much power and his skills are far from the elite level. The veteran fighter has an easy breezy style out of the orthodox stance and while that might sound good it actually means he doesn't put much power on his punches or do a sufficient job of protecting himself. While Ngumbu does have a decent right hand he tends to really leave himself open for return fire, especially when he's throwing his power punches.
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| Ngumbu landing a jab on Andrzej Fonfara |
This fight should be all Gvozdyk. It isn't that Ngumbu is such a bad fighter that he will embarrass himself in the ring, it's just that there are levels to this sport. Gvozdyk is one of, if not the best light heavyweight in boxing right now. He has skills and power and has beaten much better fighters than Ngumbu. No rational person would rank Ngumbu among the top 10 light heavyweights in boxing and should he last all 12 rounds he should look at that as a moral victory.
PREDICTION: Oleksandr Gvozdyk is going to win this fight. Doudou Ngumbu won't embarrass himself but he also won't pose much of a threat to the champion. Enjoy the fight while it lasts because Gvozdyk will stop Ngumbu in the seventh round.
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