8/26 ESPN: Jared Anderson vs Andriy Rudenko / Efe Ajagba vs Zhan Kossobutskiy

[patscorpio]

TULSA, OK (July 13, 2023) —There is no rest for the sport’s hottest young heavyweight. Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson, the fighting pride of Toledo, Ohio, is set to go for his Sweet 16.

Anderson (15-0, 14 KOs) will take on Ukrainian contender Andriy Rudenko in the 10-round main event on Saturday, August 26 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. The 23-year-old slugger will make his third 2023 appearance less than two months after defeating former world champion Charles Martin in front of 7,234 hometown fans in Toledo.

Anderson-Rudenko and additional fight action will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Holden Productions, tickets starting at $49.50 are on sale now at www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.

“This is another great test for Jared. When you watch him fight, you are seeing a future heavyweight champion of the world,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Rudenko is a crafty veteran who has been in there with some top guys. The fans at Hard Rock Tulsa are in for a real treat.”

Anderson debuted as a pro in 2019 and has developed into a top contender. He ended his first 14 fights in six rounds or less. His knockout victims included Jerry Forrest and previously unbeaten standouts George Arias and Vladimir Tereshkin. On July 1, he fought for the first time as a pro in his hometown, debuting as a headlining attraction with a 10-round unanimous decision win over Martin. Ranked 7th in the world by the WBO and 9th by the WBC, Anderson is on track to challenge the division’s top dogs.

Anderson said, “I want to stay active and make my case that I am the present and future of the heavyweight division. Rudenko is a tough, durable veteran. I respect what he’s accomplished in the game, but on August 26 at Hard Rock Tulsa, he’s going to regret accepting this challenge.”

Rudenko (35-6, 21 KOs) is a 39-year-old with more than 16 years of pro experience. He was 24-0 before losses to then-undefeated contenders Lucas Browne and Hughie Fury. Rudenko then tallied seven consecutive wins, earning his first regional title in the process. In recent years, he has provided stern tests to some of the sport’s top big men, losing via decision to former world champion Alexander Povetkin, reigning European champion Agit Kabayel, and top contender Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang.

Rudenko said, “This is a tremendous opportunity, and I am coming to Tulsa to score the big upset. I dedicate this fight to the people of Ukraine, and I can’t wait to show everyone that I still have what it takes to perform at the highest level.”

 

[patscorpio]

TULSA, OK (July 20, 2023) — Heavy-hitting Nigerian contender Efe Ajagba will take on unbeaten Kazakh southpaw Zhan Kossobutskiy in the 10-round co-feature on Saturday, August 26 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Ajagba-Kossobutskiy will be the co-feature to the heavyweight showdown between Toledo-born phenom Jared Anderson and Andriy Rudenko. Uzbek Olympic gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov will make his Top Rank debut in the eight-round televised opener against Nigeria’s Onoriode Ehwarieme. Anderson-Rudenko, Ajagba-Kossobutskiy & Jalolov-Ehwarieme will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Holden Productions, tickets starting at $49.50 are on sale now at www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com. Ajagba (17-1, 13 KOs), a 2016 Nigerian Olympian, has solidified himself as one of the division’s fiercest punchers. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound slugger debuted as a pro in July 2017 and secured six first-round knockouts in his first eight bouts. He suffered his first defeat in October 2021 against Frank Sanchez. Following the loss, Ajagba had surgery on both his elbows, returning in August 2022 to stop Hungarian veteran Jozsef Darmos in the second round. The 29-year-old is coming off a 10-round decision win against previously unbeaten contender Stephan Shaw in January. “This is a great test for me as I continue my quest to become Nigeria’s next heavyweight champion," Ajagba said. “I am coming to Tulsa to score a devastating knockout and remind everyone what I’m capable of doing inside the ring.” Kossobutskiy (19-0, 18 KOs) is a 34-year-old southpaw from Kostanay, Kazakhstan. He has only gone the distance once in his career, a six-round decision win over Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko in September 2018. In 2021, he went 3-0 with three knockouts. In 2022, he dispatched former world title challenger Johann Duhaupas in the fifth round and is coming off a third-round knockout over previously unbeaten contender Hussein Muhamed last November. Kossobutskiy said, “I’m ready to make my debut in the United States against a very strong opponent. I want to show that I can beat the best in the heavyweight division, and to do that, you must overcome very tough challenges. I look forward to showing the world my abilities on August 26.” Jalolov (12-0, 12 KOs) represented Uzbekistan at the 2016 Olympics before turning pro in May 2018 with a third-round TKO over Hugo Trujillo. He built an 8-0 record before returning to the amateur ranks in the summer of 2021 to capture an Olympic gold medal. Jalolov then tallied four knockout wins in the paid ranks before continuing his remarkable amateur run in May with a gold medal at the 2023 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The 29-year-old wrecking ball returns to the pro ranks following his fourth-round TKO over Curtis Harper last November. Ehwarieme (20-2, 19 KOs) debuted as a professional with a decision win over Junior Maletino Iakopo in December 2010. He defeated his next 16 opponents by knockout, all within five rounds. He suffered his first loss against Rodney Hernandez in June 2019, but returned in December to stop Ariel Esteban Bracamonte via first-round knockout. Ehwarieme suffered a fourth-round stoppage loss against Kossobutskiy in February 2021, and he is 2-0 with two knockouts since. The 35-year-old, who represented Nigeria at the 2008 Olympics, blasted out Jeff Holcomb in only one round in February 2022. The ESPN+-streamed undercard includes some of the sports brightest up-and-coming talents. Rising featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (8-0, 5 KOs), the latest fistic talent to come from Brownsville, Brooklyn, will fight an opponent to be named in an eight-rounder. Carrington will make his fourth 2023 appearance following an eighth-round TKO win over Luis Porozo in June. Undefeated middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh (8-0-1, 5 KOs), grandson of Muhammad Ali, will face Sona Akale (7-1, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder. Ali Walsh will fight in Tulsa for the third time as a pro following an eight-round draw against Danny Rosenberger on the Devin Haney-Vasiliy Lomachenko undercard. 19-year-old lightweight prodigy Abdullah Mason (9-0, 8 KOs) will make his fourth appearance of 2023 in a six-round duel. Mason was considered one of the brightest U.S. amateur talents before signing with Top Rank in October 2021. The southpaw returns after a second-round TKO win over Alex de Oliveira on July 1. In a 10-round junior lightweight tilt, Filipino Olympian Charly Suarez (15-0, 9 KOs) will put his unbeaten record on the line against hard-hitting Dominican Yohan Vasquez (25-3, 20 KOs). Suarez heads to Tulsa following a 12th-round TKO win against then-unbeaten Australian Paul Fleming on enemy turf. Kazakh Olympian Ablaikhan Zhussupov (3-0, 2 KOs) returns in a welterweight clash scheduled for eight rounds.

 

[prince_peoples]

That’s a real fast turnaround for Anderson, esp since he was hurt a few times in his last fight.

 

[UpAndComing]

Wait that quick?

Hopefully this is not another Michael Grant situation of making a fighter a cash cow and grooming them to get a title shot too early

 

[UncleTomFord15]

Ajagba v Anderson would've been far more interesting

 

[patscorpio]

Ajagba v Anderson would've been far more interesting

Ajagba is facing somebody who has more of a chance of knocking him out

 

[UpAndComing]

Ajagba is facing somebody who has more of a chance of knocking him out

LOL @ Jared Anderson saying "He's slower than most". I'm glad Charles Martin gave him a dose of reality

 

[The axe murderer]

LOL @ Jared Anderson saying "He's slower than most". I'm glad Charles Martin gave him a dose of reality

he got beat by kazak guy in amateurs who zhan blew out. He needed that reality check

 

[patscorpio]

uppin

 

[aceboon]

 

[aceboon]

was wondering why TR tweeted that his fight would be streamed on YT instead of ESPN+...

 

[patscorpio]

was wondering why TR tweeted that his fight would be streamed on YT instead of ESPN+...

so fukkin stupid

 

[patscorpio]

Saturday, August 26


ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT)

Jared Anderson vs. Andriy Rudenko, 10 rounds, Heavyweight

Efe Ajagba vs. Zhan Kossobutskiy, 10 rounds, Heavyweight

ESPN+ (6:50 p.m. ET/3:50 p.m. PT)

Bruce Carrington vs. Angel Antonio Contreras, 8 rounds, Featherweights

Jeremiah Milton vs. Craig Lewis, 8 rounds, Heavyweights

Nico Ali Walsh vs. Sona Akale, 6 rounds, Middleweights

Abdullah Mason vs. Cesar Villarraga, 6 rounds, Lightweights

Ablaikhan Zhussupov vs. Wiston Campos, 8/6 rounds, Welterweights

Charly Suarez vs. Yohan Vasquez, 10 rounds, Junior Lightweight

Top Rank YouTube (6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT)

Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Onoriode Ehwarieme, 8 rounds, Heavyweight

 

[patscorpio]

Jared Anderson-Andriy Rudenko, ESPN/ESPN+ Undercard Weigh-In Results From Tulsa​

BY JAKE DONOVAN
Published Fri Aug 25, 2023, 02:36 PM EDT
Jared Anderson sported a T-shirt purely for advertising purposes as he weighed in for his third bout of the year.
The unbeaten heavyweight contender proudly lifted his shirt to flash his chiseled physique after his announced weight of 239.6 pounds for his second straight ESPN main event. He faces Ukraine’s Andriy Rudenko, who tipped the scales at 244.3 pounds for their scheduled ten-round bout.
Anderson-Rudenko tops an ESPN-televised heavyweight doubleheader this Saturday from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Anderson (15-0, 14KOs) enjoys a quick ring turnaround, which speaks to his readiness considering he went all ten-rounds for the first time in his career just eight weeks ago. That moment came in a well-earned, unanimous decision victory over former IBF heavyweight titlist Charles Martin atop a July 1 ESPN telecast from his hometown of Toledo, Ohio.
The fight marked his first time going to the scorecards or having been extended beyond the sixth round. Anderson took less than a week break before he entered training camp for this bout.
Rudenko (35-6, 21KOs) makes his U.S. debut in Saturday’s headliner. The bout is his second on the road, as he is unable to fight at home due to the ongoing Russo-Ukraine war.
The evening’s co-feature pits mid-level contender Efe Ajagba (17-1, 13KOs) and fast-rising Zhan Kossobutskiy (19-0, 18KOs) in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.
Ajagba—a 2012 Nigerian Olympian now based out of the greater Houston area—was 236 ½ pounds. Kazakhstan’s Kossobutskiy was 234.4 pounds for his U.S. debut. The unbeaten heavyweight was due to face Anderson in July but was forced to withdraw when he could not secure his travel visa in time.
Appearing off TV, Bakhodir Jalolov (12-0, 12KOs) was 253.6 pounds for his first fight of 2023 and on a Top Rank show. The undefeated Uzbek heavyweight knockout artist—who won Gold during the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics)—faces Nigeria’s Onoriode Ehwarieme (20-2, 19KOs), who was 224.9 pounds for their scheduled eight-round contest.
ESPN+ Undercard weights (6:50 p.m. ET/5:50 p.m. local time)
Bruce Carrington (8-0, KOs), Brooklyn, New York, 126.7 pounds vs. Angel Antonio Contreras (13-6-2, 7KOs), Monterrey, Mexico, 126.8 pounds—8 rounds, feahterweight
Jeremiah Milton (10-0, 7KOs), Las Vegas via Tulsa, 254.4 pounds vs. Craig Lewis (15-6-1, 8KOs), Detroit, 260.4 pounds—8 rounds, heavyweight
Nico Ali Walsh (8-0, 5KOs), Las Vegas via Chicago, 159.1 pounds vs. Sona Akale (7-1, KOs), 157.9 pounds—6 rounds, middleweight
Abdullah Mason (9-0, 8KOs), Cleveland, Ohio, 134.9 pounds vs. Cesar Villarraga (10-7-1, 5KOs), Bogota, Colombia, 134.7 pounds—6 rounds, lightweight
Ablaikhan Zhussupov (3-0, 2KOs), Karaganda, Kazakhstan, 149.7 pounds vs. Wiston Campos (33-11-6, 19KOs, Managua, Nicaragua, 149.8 pounds—8 rounds, junior welterweight
Charly Suarez (15-0, 9KOs), Manila, Philippines, 130.6 pounds vs. Yohan Vasquez (25-3, 20KOs), The Bronx via Santiago de los Caballeros, D.R 129.6 pounds—10 rounds, junior lightweight

 

[reservoirdogs]

Strange to me that Ajagba is such an underdog against Khossobutskiy according to the bookies
Ever since GGG all Kazakh and Uzbek fighters viewed as some huge potential until they collect their first 0
This dude is southpaw, works the body well and is pretty fluid for a HW but imo he can be hit, he's a lot smaller than Ajagba and he never boxed at this level unlike Ajagba, just stopped some old trial horses like Dewajko and Duhaupas and beat some German domsetic or at best Euro level prospects. Strange to me that they give him the benefit of the doubt like that, we'll see...