I was so angry after the judges’ decision in the Imam Khataev vs. David Morrell fight that I almost quit Punching Grace and started a podcast about rebuilding the CF Montréal.
EOTTM needs wins against top 5 world-ranked boxers to establish itself among the world’s top promotions. Khataev had pulled off the feat. The judges stole it from him.
Thankfully, the biggest boxing journalists confirmed what I felt: the Australian boxer’s stock has never been higher. In defeat, Imam Khataev has become a must-watch contender in the 175-pound division. Turki Alalshikh has even promised to bring him back under the spotlight.
Here’s a thread of quotes that says a lot:
“Imam Khataev: a new star is born in the light heavyweight division,” said DAZN play-by-play commentator Mike Grisham.
“You’d have to be blind or biased to give that fight to David Morrell,” added Al Bernstein, former lead analyst for Showtime.
“I’m not really sure what fight the judges were watching […]. Imam Khataev seemed to control the pace, land the cleaner shots, and connect with more power,” noted Mike Coppinger of The Ring Magazine.
Five names to help build the Riyadh Season matchmaking:
1.Joshua Buatsi (19-1, 13 KO)
The Brit is an ideal opponent. Well known among fans, he hits hard and is highly ranked. It would be a clash between two men with no room for error — a classic “crossroads fight.” If Beterbiev and Bivol face off a third time, this is the dream semifinal.
2.Oleksandr Gvozdyk (21-2, 17 KO)
Credible and known to Quebec fans, he recently fought on an undercard in an empty arena in Florida against a .500 fighter, Anthony Hollaway. In 2024, he gave David Benavidez 12 highly competitive rounds for the WBC interim title. If I were Camille Estephan, I’d promote this fight myself at the Videotron Centre if Turki doesn’t want it.
Photo: Oleksandr Gvozdyk – Boxing News
3.Conor Wallace (16-1, 11 KO)
A classic Australia vs. Australia matchup in Saudi Arabia? I’m in. Wallace, a 6-foot-3 southpaw, is ranked 13th on BoxRec. He already beat Jerome Pampellone, who is Albert Ramirez’s next opponent.
4.“Hot Rod” Kalajdzic (29-3, 21 KO)
I’m pulling here from Beterbiev and Morrell’s recent opponents to give Khataev a good comparison. Kalajdzic has only been stopped once and went the distance with Morrell. If Khataev stops him, it would send a strong message and build pressure for a rematch with Morrell.
Photo: Hot Rod” Kalajdzic – World Boxing Association
5.Michael Eifert (13-1, 5 KO)
In March 2023, the German became the IBF mandatory challenger by beating Jean Pascal at Place Bell. I repeat: 2023. On July 7, 2025, the IBF finally ordered the fight with Dmitry Bivol. Believe it or not, Eifert is willing to wait until 2026, leaving room for a Beterbiev-Bivol trilogy.
Turki and Camille could join forces to “buy” his ranking and title shot opportunity.
Photo: Michael Eifert – IG
In the podcast
Eugenie Bouchard will play the last tournament of her career at the National Bank Open in Montreal. Her run at the Australian Open and her Wimbledon final in 2014 boosted tennis club registrations and raised the sport’s media visibility.
The Blue Jays have me dreaming of baseball with their 60–42 record and first place in the East. I’m finally going to jump on the bandwagon and buy a powder-blue Addison Barger jersey at a shop near Rogers Centre.
The rumor is true: I’m going to buy a season ticket for the Montreal Carabins to follow the start of José Alejandro Gonzalez Garza’s career. After following him in college football, he’ll now replace Jonathan Sénécal as the Carabins’ starting quarterback. Nicknamed “Pépé,” he was born in Mexico and came to Montreal with his family at age 6. His arm is extremely powerful.
