So someone has finally agreed to face the tornado. We were almost starting to wonder whether the IBF would have no choice but to simply hand the world championship belt to Osleys Iglesias.
When Eye of the Tiger says the Cuban is the “boogeyman” of the super middleweight division, they’re not wrong.
It’s extremely rare to see a world championship fight between the #1 and #7 contenders for a vacant title. Normally, the #1 faces the #2, or at worst, the #3.
So Quebec fans won’t get the fight they had been speculating about, a showdown between Iglesias and Canelo, or Munguia, or Sheeraz.
But Iglesias still won’t be facing a pushover.
Pavel Silyagin was presented with an offer he couldn’t refuse. And the Russian boxer remains a very tough opponent nonetheless.
And it feels like we keep saying this when it comes to Iglesias, but this may end up being the biggest fight ever held at the Casino de Montréal.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Osleys Iglesias
Let’s not forget that Quebec fans will still get a world championship fight in Montreal.
So here are the keys to victory for both fighters as we wait for the bout to take place.
Pavel Silyagin (16-0-1, 7 KOs)
First, Silyagin.
He may not have the punching power of Osleys Iglesias, but he remains a technical and intelligent boxer. Most of his victories have come by unanimous decision, where he barely loses a round.
And we know that Osleys Iglesias lives up to his nickname. From the opening bell, he’s like a tornado trying to destroy everything in his path. Silyagin will therefore need to keep him at a distance in the early rounds and try to impose his own pace over the course of the fight.
The bad news for the Russian boxer is that Iglesias isn’t known for slowing down as the fight progresses.
Photo: Fightbookmma.com – Pavel Silyagin
Iglesias and Silyagin both faced the very durable Isaac Chilemba within a short span of time, and the outcome was quite similar: a dominant win on the judges’ scorecards. It’s worth noting that this was the only time Osleys has gone the full 12-round distance in his career.
In addition, Iglesias stopped Vladimir Shishkin in the 8th round last September, in a fight where he was expected to have to dig deep against a very tough opponent. He did have to push himself, but the length of the fight never seemed to trouble the Cuban.
Pavel Silyagin therefore cannot afford to give away the early rounds while hoping fatigue will catch up to his opponent, though that’s not typically his style anyway.
The Russian will need to find a way to land effectively while keeping Iglesias at bay, all while winning rounds from start to finish if he hopes to leave Montreal with a world championship belt.
But will he be able to do it?
Since his disappointing outing against Evgeny Shvedenko, a fight that ended in a draw, Pavel Silyagin has delivered dominant performances. So anything is possible.
Photo: Boxenet – Pavel Silyagin
Let’s also remember that Iglesias violently stopped Shvedenko in the first round in 2024.
Osleys Iglesias (14-0, 13 KOs)
Next, Osleys Iglesias.
When people say you don’t change a winning formula, that’s probably the mindset of Iglesias’ entire team.
Still, he’ll need to be careful, because this represents the biggest challenge of his career. Iglesias can’t afford to be overconfident — in boxing, more often than not, that can come back to haunt you.
In his case, the most important thing will be not to take his opponent lightly or assume the fight is already won.
Montreal fans have seen it: with the talent he possesses, he can beat just about anyone. He simply needs to execute the game plan to the letter and, in principle, he should be crowned world champion.
There’s a reason why the Eye of the Tiger protégé is a 6-to-1 favorite on sports betting sites.
And with Iglesias, we know that he, along with his 93% knockout ratio, always brings the show.
So we can expect him to come out strong and look to cut off the ring to his advantage, putting his opponent in uncomfortable situations. His goal will likely be to win by early knockout, but if Silyagin manages to avoid that, Iglesias has all the tools to box at a high level for 12 rounds without any problem.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Osleys Iglesias
My Prediction
Given that Silyagin has never lost and is still ranked among the world’s top 10, I don’t think Osleys Iglesias will stop him that easily. I expect both fighters to study each other and trade a few rounds early in the fight.
That said, I still believe the Cuban will come out on top, and if the opportunity presents itself, he won’t hesitate to finish the job.
Official prediction: Iglesias wins 117–111 on the scorecards or by knockout after the 9th round.
