Photo: Mikey Williams – With their nicknames, in another life, they might have fought at the Rome Coliseum, but it’s now at the Videotron Centre, in Quebec City, that Guido ‘The Gladiator’ Vianello (12-2-1, 10 KOs) will face Arslanbek ‘The Lion’ Makhmudov (19-1, 18 KOs).
Guido Vianello will speak in the ring on August 17 against Arslanbek Makhmudov. But in the meantime, when we contacted the Italian giant, he had no problem talking to us about what will happen next month in Quebec City.
‘We are both strong heavyweights who want that win, but with my speed, my footwork and my athleticism, Makhmudov will be an easy fight,’ said the 6′6″ colossus, contacted in the middle of the day, Italian time, between two training sessions.
A ‘gained’ confidence
As his words suggest, Vianello is confident, a confidence validated by his last fight. Last April, in South Texas, he almost upset the highly touted Nigerian Efe Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs), ranked top 5 by WBC. ‘Almost,’ because the judges gave a split decision in favor of the adopted Texan.
‘I think I won. Many believe it too, but it was a close fight…’
‘I still proved that I could compete with the top heavyweights that night. I worked really hard to get there, but now that I’m here, it’s just the beginning. That’s why when I met Top Rank, after the fight, I told them that I wanted to face the best boxer available, as soon as possible,’ he continued, leading us to the Makhmudov showdown.
A Different World
It’s not the first time that the paths of the two giants have crossed. In 2015, it was Vianello who was at home in Milan, Italy. In the semi-professional circuit of the World Series of Boxing (WSB), they went to war. No man fell, but Makhmudov won by doctor’s stoppage in the 4th round.
‘There are positive experiences I can take from this fight, but I don’t necessarily come with revenge in my mind. I was young at the time and today, Makhmudov is just another step on my path,’ told the Rio Games Olympian (2016).
Vianello was only 20 years old in March 2015, compared to 25 for the adopted Montrealer. They now find themselves at 30 and 35 years old, so yes, it is ‘another step,’ but it is a crucial step, even without return, for the international future of each person.
‘At this stage of their careers, they both have the gun on their heads to win this fight,’ Marc Ramsay even said, with a smile on his face, when the fight was announced.
From Rome to Vegas
To prepare to face Makhmudov in his jungle and in a typical ‘crossroads fight,’ Vianello offered himself an international training camp.
At home in Rome, he spent the first month training with the national amateur team preparing for the Paris Olympics. With his trainer, Simone D’alessandri, he will soon fly to Las Vegas for the final month, where several sparring sessions await him at the Top Rank Gym.
Then, once in Quebec, if everything goes according to his plan, his thousands of hours of training – from both sides of the Atlantic – will offer him an ‘easy fight’ on August 17.
