According to this interview he reckons he'll fight undefeated Russian Denis Lebedev for the WBO Intercontinental strap: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8041560.stm http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?cat=boxer&human_id=34020 Lebedev is no stranger to the UK and is a southpaw: [YT]1E5ioEnISO8[/YT]
I think he'd rather Maccarinelli won somehow. Lebedev does not exactly send the crowds pulses racing. He looks capable though and would be an ideal fight. If Macca can't beat this guy he should think about his future as he says in the interview.
:think Lebedev would also be a tougher sell to the Brit public. They wouldn't get behind a foreigner would they? If Macca loses then he should pack it in or go back to domestic level, fighting the likes of Dolan and Norton.
Yeah, why the **** did Warren sign this Russkie? I've also seen Warren say in an interview that he wanted to sign Povetkin. Sure, he's a talented fighter but would Warren be able to market him successfully in the UK?
I'm not sure. I think you are onto a loser if you try and promote an average foreigner like this Lebedev fellow. But has any British promoter truely attempted to market a proper fighter with the type of amateur pedigree and style Povetkin had? It works in Germany largely because they've had a history of doing it and the Germans have come to accept these Eastern fighters have fought well, but there is no inherent reason I can think of why Britain would be out of bounds as opposed to Germany. :huh I think it was for the benefit of Povetkin's career mind. He's been matched extremely well and has headlined cards. He'd probably be tucked away on undercards against less than stellar opposition under Frank - for a while at least.
Cheers TFFP. I watched that a couple times and couldn't work out why he stopped it, a tough match for Enzo but by no means beyond him.
Perhaps Warren is trying to go multinational seeing as his moneymakers have either left (Calzaghe, Hatton), are too risky to rely on (Khan, Macca) or are too early in their careers? Seems as if European boxing is thriving as of late and he wants a piece of the pie.
This could be worth a thread of its own - its an interesting debate. Could an Eastern European Olympic gold medalist with the right style be successfully marketed to the British public. That is...could he headline his own shows and fill an arena like the MEN eventually - once he's reached world class? Would TV buy into it? Would he need to be "Sturm'ed". I.e. become Alexander Peters.
I don't think so. If exciting British fighters like Haye and Froch are still struggling to fill arenas like that then I doubt a foreigner has much of a chance.