Tögstsogt "King Tug" Nyambayar

He spent most of 2017 on the shelf (and off the grid altogether, going dead silent on all forms of social media for several months) after making quite a splash to kick off the year - but fear not, Trans-Mongolian Express riders. It will be full steam ahead for Tug, as he chugs along in pro bout #9 come November 18th to ring in his second before the last page of the calendar is turned, per an esoteric post on his official Instagram account two weeks ago.

The aforementioned victory in February certainly left fans wanting more - dominating and ultimately stopping tough Filipino yeoman Jhon Gemino in a walkout bout that ended up benefiting from the premature endings on all three installments of a PBC on FS1 triple-header (Washington vs. Wilder, Hurd vs. Harrison, and Breazeale vs. Ugonoh) to become televised for a preheated and hyped-up national audience. Tögstsogt showed off his prowess and demonstrated there was indeed a huge gulf in class but didn't just run and pot shot the less talented opponent, and left fans extremely satisfied - credit also to Gemino himself.

Before that, Nyambayar had struggled to find any consistent TV coverage since debuting almost two years earlier, and this breakout performance seemed like the perfect launchpad so long as he could stay in the public eye to strike while the iron was hot. Well, for whatever reason, that didn't happen and ten months went by without anyone hearing a peep - and even the die hard boxing snobs that were high on him probably had all but forgotten him in the bustle of all the other news in the sport lately. Well, time for everybody to dust off the old memory banks and recall your enthusiasm, because the Olympic silver medalist is returning and is still young enough at 25 not to have a "mere" two fight year hamper too much of his momentum.

His post consisted of just a date and the fist emoji ("11.18"), alongside what appeared to be a picture of Tug on a treadmill, but the implied meaning is clear. He will see action, somewhere, opponent TBA, in a month's time.

Let's see if TBA ends up being anyone decent, even a lateral move from Gemino - and if Tug can keep the perfect streak of stoppages alive heading into (and perhaps beyond) double-digits experience in 2018. About that perfect stoppage rate, anyway...

Gemino had only been stopped twice before - once in his debut by massive punching countryman Froilan Saludar and once at the hands of underrated Daniel Rosas via body shot after gassing and then sustaining a prolonged, brutal whipping downstairs - and went the distance in competitive 10-rounder losses to Andrés Gutiérrez and Juan Carlos Sánchez Jr., and when he fought Nyambayar was coming off his career-best victory, a KO1 upset of then unbeaten Toka Kahn-Clary. The fight with Tug was a valiant effort on Gemino's part but honestly could have been stopped in half the amount of time it was. Gemino's corner sadistically kept turning him out but even the commentators were suggesting they maybe oughtn't by the sixth or seventh.

Tug also, in his previous nationally televised appearance in July of 2016 in an ESPN co-feature, dealt Rafael "Dynamite" Vazquez his first and only career stoppage defeat in 19 pro bouts.

He also whooped German Iván "Gravedigger" Meraz so badly the robust Mexican quit after the 5th, just the eighth stoppage loss for Meraz in 104 bouts.

Most impressive to me is yet another corner retirement, over Johnny "Fenix" Ruiz, the only stoppage defeat of Ruiz's illustrious career. You may recognize that name from me constantly touting him as low-key having the best active chin in boxing. You seriously have no idea how freaking tough Ruiz is. The bombs this guy has just walked through and shrugged off, from moderate to very good punchers - just, trust me. His chin is amazing. For the nigh-invulnerable journeyman to quit (there's no video, unfortunately) and give up that one major point of pride in his 16-year campaign, he must have been absolutely savaged.

Tug has that kind of power. Scary power. And skill. And he's aggressive, while still maintaining smart, active defense and responsible control of range. He's going to be juggling at least a few world title belts from more than a single org and probably multiple divisions before all is said and done. Oh and did I mention he is a converted southpaw who can switch-hit and has TNT in both mitts?

Fingers crossed 11/18 involves some kind of television coverage in whatever country hosts it or stream offered by the promoter (or at least something making its way onto YouTube in the near future). Even if there is a way to watch, I won't be able to myself - this date happens to be my girlfriend's birthday and I got us Hamilton tickets, so not exactly the sort of thing I can set aside because an 8-0 prospect might be streamed on some rink-a-dink card somewhere halfway around the world - but I strongly urge anybody that's able to seek out ways to check it out. Nyambayar if he stays active is sure to become a consensus "must-see" fighter before long and you'll want to be in on the groundfloor and say you were following him before it was cool.

Nyambayar vs. Jhon Gemino:

This content is protected

Nyambayar vs. Rafael Vazquez:

This content is protected

 

Oh, he is huge (for a featherweight)

 

Ask me on Sunday.

The last time somebody had a sure-thing match-up with a light-hitting Frenchman, we saw Eggington upset by Mimoune.

 

That's a better resource than mine would be, I really DKSA him.

...but again, don't bet any money on him just yet. Beware the 2017 feather fisted Frenchie curse. (just ask Eggs, or Carlos Molina who got upset by Ahmed El Mousaoui last Saturday, or Stephane Jamoye...not that Guerfi was supposed to lose or anything, but he wasn't supposed to pistol-whip and stop Jamoye...)

 

Huh. I was gonna respond with "yeah but wasn't JHN more of a valuable scalp like six years ago when Ioka got him?", then checked his BR first real quick lest I look an idiot, and lo and behold during this recent stretch of the last year or so where I've stepped away from paying the sport as much attention, the guy outta the blue ended a run of five years of relative irrelevance (with his best opponents in thirteen matches being a skidding Ramón García Hirales and the so-so Baby Juárez) by knocking out, in the span of nine months, both Omar Niño Romero and then Nawaphon Kaikanha for the green belt. So yeah, that makes dominating him as you describe a big deal. Funny how much difference a year can make. Dominating the same guy in May of 2016 would be "meh", but with the added contextual weight it becomes whoa-worthy.

 

Still no venue, nor opponent, nor even a confirmation that Nyambayar will be competing on BoxRec - nor any news online anywhere besides his own cryptic Instagram/Twitter update. But I believe. I believe that King Tug will come on the promised day, and provide us with sublime fistic salvation.