Thursday night, headlining a DiBella Entertainment card in Monroeville, PA. Scheduled for eight rounds at super middleweight. Both of them are thirty year old East Coast fighters who lost their zeroes (and with them, some of their prospect luster) - in their biggest steps up in class to date - within fifteen pro bouts. Khytrov - an unlucky Olympian who arguably got robbed of a chance to go further in 2012 by drawing Anthony Ogogo in the opening bracket and losing controversially via countback - lost to Immanuwel Aleem in 2017 and then Brandon Adams last year, while the 6'3" but solidly distributed Puerto-Rican-Vietnamese-American southpaw (whose career has been stop-and-go with injuries, particularly a 2010 knuckle fracture) received his own humbling exposure at the hands of Christopher Brooker in 2016, getting his nose broken and getting beaten lopsidedly on points.
Khytrov has been a massive bust as a pro. He was about as blue chip a prospect as possible coming out of the amateurs. He'll still knock this guy out.
a Vietnarican.. Don't think I've ever seen that combination before. Is Pham durable? Has it even been tested? Pretty sure he loses this one just not sure how
Khytrov in his defense, was starting to come on in the Adams match. Brandon was lucky it was only a 5 rounder. This match will probably follow a similar trajectory, Pham is 6'3 and a southpaw, that will present him with a few issues early, but he'll probably focus on the body, which will pay dividends late, and score the stoppage around the 7th or 8th.
As Khytrov himself explains it, he was severely dehydrated in that fight. They had to make 160 the day of the fight. Ievgen is not the biggest and tallest guy but he has heavy bones, I guess — to make weight for him was always a problem, even from his amateur boxing days. By the way, his move to 168 is planned as permanent: This content is protected
I still wouldn't count him our completely. Could still end up being a dark horse at MW. T. Johnson would be good fight next for him. Winner of that is in the mix again.
I'd ordinarily be starting the RBR thread for this in about ten minutes but I've got a full plate tonight.. @CST80 @UnleashtheFURY , all yours..
If you're lacking the proper "motivation" to start watching & scoring: Spoiler https://www.vipleague.lc/1-ievgen-khytrov-vs-gabriel-pham-live-streaming
HUGE bust, dead on. I remember watching his amateur fight against Bogdan Juratoni where he absolutely blitzed him. They both hooked off at the same time but Khytrov's was so much shorter, better, and compact and it landed bang on and put him out. I remember thinking bak then, total stud. And then............ Faceplant.