According to experts, wasps only attack when they feel threatened. Yet on Thursday night, there was a wasp at the Montreal Casino that seemed to enjoy violence.
Dzmitry Asanau improved his professional record to 13 victories in as many fights.
And while it’s true that early in his career he lacked that killer instinct, that is no longer an issue, because the man nicknamed “The Wasp” is now riding a streak of three consecutive knockout victories.
What’s even more impressive is that he’s doing it against opponents who are accustomed to hearing the final bell.
He handed Laid Douadi the first loss of his career.
He became the first fighter to knock out Carlos Ramos.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Dzmitry Asanau (left)
And he just stopped Roger Gutierrez in the sixth round after Gutierrez had given Lucas Bahdi a highly competitive fight in his previous outing.
Sure, these may not yet be elite world-level opponents, but he is still ending fights in what appears to be relatively easy fashion—something he wasn’t doing in the past.
He was already an impressive technician, but with his punching power having improved so dramatically, let me tell you, there won’t be a line of fighters eager to face him.
But he won’t be able to take the easy road.
So here are three ideas for potential opponents moving forward:
Photo: Boxe.live – Sam Noakes (left)
Sam Noakes (18-1, 16 KOs)
First, former world title contender Sam Noakes would be an excellent challenge for Asanau.
The British fighter is ranked #5 by the WBC, #4 by the WBO, and #12 by the WBA.
A victory would therefore propel the Belarusian into the rankings of three major sanctioning bodies.
Noakes has only one defeat, and it came at the hands of WBO world champion Abdullah Mason.
Let’s remember that it was a closely contested fight, with the American winning by only a few rounds.
If Asanau can deliver a better performance than Mason while climbing the rankings in the process, he would be knocking on the door of a world title shot.
Photo: Boxing Scene – Rene Tellez Giron (right)
Rene Tellez Giron (23-5, 14 KOs)
Next, a fight against Rene Tellez Giron would also make sense.
The Mexican lost in Quebec in February of last year but has since won three fights. And not against just anybody—he defeated Jordan White, the current WBC International champion.
Rene Tellez Giron is ranked #20 by the WBC and #11 by the WBO.
Asanau is not currently ranked among the WBO’s top 15 contenders, so this would be a great opportunity to break into that list.
It’s a more accessible fight than one against Sam Noakes, but certainly not one to be taken lightly.
A convincing victory would send a message to the rest of the division.
But a night where he underestimates his opponent is almost guaranteed to come back and haunt him.
A strong challenge to solidify his status as a legitimate contender.
Photo: Reddit – Andy Cruz (right)
Andy Cruz (6-1, 3 KOs)
First, let’s remember that the Belarusian defeated Andy Cruz in the amateur ranks back in 2015.
And the Cuban is coming off a very close loss to Raymond Muratalla in an IBF world title fight.
Cruz is ranked #4 by the WBC, just behind Asanau, and #4 by the IBF.
The fight makes sense: Cruz wants to put himself back into a major bout, while Asanau is trying to break through on the international stage.
In addition, Cruz would have the opportunity to avenge the loss he suffered in Qatar more than 10 years ago.
This is exactly the type of fight that sets the stage for a world championship opportunity.
With both fighters ranked among the WBC’s top four contenders, the winner could realistically become the mandatory challenger to the winner of the fight between William Zepeda and Lamont Roach.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Dzmitry Asanau and his team
Also on the June 4 card
And while Asanau wasn’t the only fighter to impress on Thursday night, another prospect also sent an important message.
Trainer Samuel Décarie stated in an interview with Punching Grace that the Nova Scotian had joined the national amateur team during his training camp.
He added that when Sanford returned to Montreal, they focused on developing more aspects of his professional boxing style.
Wyatt had been riding a streak of four consecutive decision victories and, much like Asanau a few fights ago, was criticized for lacking punching power.
On Thursday night, he stopped his opponent in the second round.
The Olympic bronze medalist also possesses excellent technical skills.
There’s no need to get carried away too quickly, of course.
But if he can add real power to his arsenal, he too will very quickly become a problem for the boxing world.
