The Tornado’s Coming
The “Tornado” is approaching, and soon it will be unavoidable. Osleys ‘El Tornado’ Iglesias, ranked 8th by the IBF, will defend his IBO super middleweight world title in a 12-round fight against undefeated Ukrainian contender Petro Ivanov, ranked 11th by the IBF, on November 7. The event will take place at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal and will be broadcast live from 6:00 PM on Punchinggrace.com and ESPN+.
“Osleys Iglesias is on the fast track because, as seen in his recent performances, he has quickly proven that he is ready for the toughest challenges. Petro Ivanov is one of them. We’re bringing two ranked, undefeated, and hungry boxers into the same ring on November 7, and I won’t hide the fact that we’re aiming to make this an IBF eliminator bout,” revealed Eye of the Tiger president Camille Estephan.
Osleys Iglesias (12-0, 11 KOs) has been wreaking havoc since arriving in Quebec. In March, he mystified Marcelo Coceres in the 1st round, even though the tireless Argentine had gone 9, 10, and 11 rounds with Pacheco, Berlanga, and Saunders. In June, the Tornado struck again in the 1st round, this time against Evgeny Shvedenko. The Russian contender, who had never been stopped before, was knocked out so brutally that the KO is certain to be a finalist for KO of the Year. Then, on August 17, Iglesias stole the spotlight once again by securing the KO and the performance of the night, stopping former world title contender Sena Agbeko in the 2nd round. Now, with a 4th fight in just 8 months, slowing down is certainly not part of his plan.
“I’m happy to be fighting so often. Petro Ivanov is an undefeated guy who dreams of becoming a world champion. Most importantly, he’s brave enough to step into the ring with me. I respect that, but I’ll make sure to deliver yet another electrifying performance for the fans in Montreal and worldwide,” said IBO world champion Osleys Iglesias, who is also ranked 5th by the WBC.
In the opposite corner, IBF International champion Petro Ivanov (18-0-2, 13 KOs) is also looking to use this fight as a springboard. Having split his career between his native Ukraine and his adopted home of Germany, the 28-year-old fighter remains undefeated in 20 bouts. In addition to the IBF International title, he has also been a WBC International champion and the WBC Youth world champion. Furthermore, he won’t be intimidated by the hostile Quebec crowd, as in 2018, he traveled to France to claim his first Youth title by knocking out the hometown favorite, Louis Toutin, who was undefeated at the time.
“I’m looking forward to November 7. It’s an incredible opportunity to make my mark on the global stage. I know Iglesias is strong and hits hard, but in our sport, everyone is beatable. I’m going to train hard to ensure he’s no exception, and when the fight is over, the IBO world title will be in my bag on the way home,” said Ukrainian contender Petro Ivanov, who has won his last six fights before the final bell.
On an international and local undercard: Montreal’s two-time world title contender Steven Butler (34-5-1, 28 KOs) will return in the co-main event against former interim world title challenger Diego Chaves (30-10-1, 24 KOs). WBO International champion Leïla Beaudoin (12-1, 1 KO) will aim for a second title against WBC Silver 130 lb champion Edith Soledad Matthysse (19-16-1, 2 KOs). EOTTM’s new recruit, Dzmitry Asanau (8-0, 3 KOs), will face former world title contender Matias Rueda (38-2, 32 KOs)in another 10-round bout. Wilkens Mathieu (11-0, 7 KOs) will fight for the 7th time this year against Argentine veteran Marcos Karalitzky (8-9-2, 2 KOs), while Thomas Chabot (11-0, 8 KOs) and Jhon Orobio (11-0, 10 KOs) will also appear in 8-round bouts.