By Jim Dower: In a card featuring aging fighters on the comeback trail, former World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs (48-5-1, 42 KOs) and former Vasiliy Jirov (37-3-1, 31 KOs) will be making their ring returns in separate bouts, both seeing action for the first time in two years later this month on October 17th at the Celebrity Theater, in Phoenix, Arizona. Briggs, 38, hasn’t fought since losing his WBO heavyweight title in a 12 round unanimous decision loss to Russian Sultan Ibragimov in June 2007, will be facing a still to be determined opponent.
Vassily Jirov
Pavlik gets Medical Clearance to Fight on December 5th; Jirov-Alexander on Oct. 17th – News
By Jim Dower: WBO/WBC middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has received medical clearance to fight on December 5th by the Cleveland Clinic, promoter Bob Arum said to Mike Marley of Examiner.com. If this turns out to be the case, then this is really good news because Pavlik could then move forward with his mega fight against Paul Williams.
Jirov making a Comeback – Boxing
By Erik Schmidt: Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) cruiserweight champion Vassily Jirov (37-3-1, 31 KO’s) will be making a comeback after two years out of boxing for a possible bout on September 17th in Woodland Hills, California. Jirov, 35, a former 1996 light heavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist for Kazakhstan, will be moving back down to cruiserweight for his comeback.