By Erik Schmidt: Big 6’7” Russian heavyweight contender Alexander Ustinov (17-0, 14 KO’s) has been added to the undercard of the September 26th title match between World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko vs. American heavyweight Chris Arreola at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. Ustinov will be fighting 40-year-old Cedric Boswell (30-1, 24 KO’s) in a 10-round bout.
For Ustinov, 32, Boswell presents a small step up from British heavyweight Michael Sprott, who Ustinov beat by a 10-round decision in June. Ustinov, a big lumbering heavyweight with a fighting style very similar to Vitali Klitschko, is being groomed as a future champion by K2 East Promotions, the promotional company run by the Klitschko brothers.
Ranked #13 in the World Boxing Association, Ustinov has a ways to go before he’s ready for a title shot. However, the Klitschko brothers need to push Ustinov a little faster than they’ve been doing because he’s already 32, and looks at least six years older than that number.
At 303, Ustinov is huge and reminds one of a shorter version of Nikolay Valuev. Like Valuev, Ustinov isn’t a real puncher, although his record would have you believe that he’s a knockout artist. However, virtually all of those wins have come against low caliber opponents with little talent or experience.
Ustinov only has four years of pro boxing experience after starting his career as a K-1 fighter where he had a record of 53-8, 31 Kos. Since turning pro, Ustinov has been brought along steadily facing a mixture of Eastern European, British and American fighters for the past four years.
He’s shown some ability, stopping most of the fighters put in front of him. However, Ustinov also has shown some rough edges, particularly with his crude brawling style which looks more like an MMA fighter trying his attempts at boxing rather than a true pro boxer.
Ustinov doesn’t have much in the way of hand speed, but then again neither does Vitali Klitschko. Unfortunately, Ustinov doesn’t have the power that Vitali or his younger brother Wladimir Klitschko possess and will have to figure out another way to beat world class athletes in the heavyweight division. At 6’7”, Ustinov needs to focus on using his reach more by jabbing his opponents.
The fights that I’ve seen him, Ustinov has mostly bludgeoned his opponents into submission using short left hooks and big right hands to do the brunt of the damage. Ustinov hasn’t faced anyone with a whole lot of talent, power or speed that could test him.
Sprott was the closest thing to high level competition that Ustinov has faced but Sprott was far too short at 6’1” to do much with Ustinov and the fight turned out to be just as one-sided as Ustinov other bouts during his career.
Another fight on the undercard will be cruiserweight contender Johnathon Banks (21-1, 15 KOs) in a 10-round bout against Javier Mora (22-4, 18 KOs). Banks’ stock has plummeted since being stopped in the 8th round in February by Tomasz Adamek in a attempt to win the International Boxing Federation cruiserweight title in February 2009.
Banks was flattened by Adamek with a big right hand in the 8th. Somehow Banks made it to his feed but was taken out with a rain of big shots from Adamek. Banks looked good in the first rounds of the bout, landing nice combinations keeping the slower Adamek on the outside.
However, starting in the 5th round, Adamek began to find a home for his big right hands, landing them to the head of Banks. By the time that Adamek stopped Banks in the 8th, the tide of the fight had already turned in Adamek’s favor. Banks is currently ranked at number #8 IBF and #12 in the WBC cruiserweight division. He really needs this way to stay at or near the top of the division.