12-04-2023, 02:59 PM
Andrei Mikhailovich’s world title eliminator postponed until 2024
Clay Wilson
Frustrating news for leading New Zealand boxer Andrei Mikhailovich.
The Peach Boxing middleweight’s IBF world title eliminator in England later this month has been postponed after German opponent Denis Radovan picked up an injury.
The bout due to take place in Sunderland on December 17 (NZ time) will now be pushed back until a to-be-confirmed date early next year.
Mikhailovich revealed the news on social media on Monday morning.
“My opponent got injured training, so I will be no longer travelling to England.
“I know a lot of people have messaged me and asked what’s happening and wished me well. I appreciate the messages, in truth I just needed a week to think about this and that.
“There’s a lot of things I could say right now about this year, but sometimes less is more.
Mikhailovich has had just one fight in 2023 - taking his perfect professional record to 20-0 with a fifth-round stoppage of Venezuelan Edisson Saltarin in April.
The 25-year-old then had to wait six months as prolonged negotiations meant confirmation of the title eliminator against Radovan dragged on until late October.
Head coach Isaac Peach said the postponement wasn’t easy news to break to his fighter.
“I felt like I was going to tell him someone died, to be honest, it was terrible.
“He’s trained so hard, but such is life. He’ll have a couple of weeks off and then he’ll back in the gym getting ready for the same fight.”
Mikhailovich, who usually trained six days-a-week, would train just three times during his “time off”, before returning to his normal schedule.
Peach said while it was heartbreaking, given how hard Mikhailovich had been training, they had to take it in their stride.
“Straight away, it’s really horrible, but then you’ve just got to regroup and get the same goals in mind, the same fight.
“It’s just boxing, this happens and it’s all part of it. It’s obviously highly frustrating ... but, look, he’s in a world title eliminator.
“If we’ve got to wait a little bit longer, so be it.”
When it takes place, the winner of the fight is in line to earn a shot at unbeaten IBF world title holder Zhanibek Alimkhanuly of Kazakhstan.
Clay Wilson
Frustrating news for leading New Zealand boxer Andrei Mikhailovich.
The Peach Boxing middleweight’s IBF world title eliminator in England later this month has been postponed after German opponent Denis Radovan picked up an injury.
The bout due to take place in Sunderland on December 17 (NZ time) will now be pushed back until a to-be-confirmed date early next year.
Mikhailovich revealed the news on social media on Monday morning.
“My opponent got injured training, so I will be no longer travelling to England.
“I know a lot of people have messaged me and asked what’s happening and wished me well. I appreciate the messages, in truth I just needed a week to think about this and that.
“There’s a lot of things I could say right now about this year, but sometimes less is more.
Mikhailovich has had just one fight in 2023 - taking his perfect professional record to 20-0 with a fifth-round stoppage of Venezuelan Edisson Saltarin in April.
The 25-year-old then had to wait six months as prolonged negotiations meant confirmation of the title eliminator against Radovan dragged on until late October.
Head coach Isaac Peach said the postponement wasn’t easy news to break to his fighter.
“I felt like I was going to tell him someone died, to be honest, it was terrible.
“He’s trained so hard, but such is life. He’ll have a couple of weeks off and then he’ll back in the gym getting ready for the same fight.”
Mikhailovich, who usually trained six days-a-week, would train just three times during his “time off”, before returning to his normal schedule.
Peach said while it was heartbreaking, given how hard Mikhailovich had been training, they had to take it in their stride.
“Straight away, it’s really horrible, but then you’ve just got to regroup and get the same goals in mind, the same fight.
“It’s just boxing, this happens and it’s all part of it. It’s obviously highly frustrating ... but, look, he’s in a world title eliminator.
“If we’ve got to wait a little bit longer, so be it.”
When it takes place, the winner of the fight is in line to earn a shot at unbeaten IBF world title holder Zhanibek Alimkhanuly of Kazakhstan.