On October 8, Quebec City’s Capitole Theatre will host a particularly packed evening for Eye of the Tiger. And in the middle of this card, where no fewer than nine titles will be on the line, including three world championships, one name is likely to prompt a few “Oliver who?” reactions among Quebec boxing fans: Oliver Zaren.
The undefeated Dane will face Osleys Iglesias, the IBF and IBO super-middleweight world champion, in what will be his first defense of the IBF title. Zaren has a record of 19 wins, no losses, one draw, and eight victories by knockout. He is also ranked among the IBF’s top contenders.
While he is not yet known to the general public, especially on this side of the ocean, the Dane is no pushover, as we say here in Quebec. Zaren is a tall, 6-foot-3 southpaw who has built his record in Europe. His record stands at 19-0 with 8 wins by knockout, and he holds the IBF International title as well as the organization’s No. 5 ranking.
Photo: BoxingScene – Oliver Zaren
“This fight is a dream come true for me, a dream I’ve cherished since childhood, and one that will ultimately come true with my victory. Osleys Iglesias is strong, tall, powerful, and I know that he scares even the world elite… but not me, because I know my level. On October 8, I won’t be coming to Quebec as a visitor. I’ll be coming as a conqueror,” said Scandinavian warrior Oliver Zaren.
Why Zaren?
The rule is simple in the IBF: the champion must face his mandatory challenger within nine months of winning the title, in addition to making an optional defense. He will fulfill one of those two obligations against Oliver Zaren and then ask the committee to order him to face a mandatory challenger. That’s how the IBF operates, the strictest organization in boxing since they were caught selling rankings at auction in 1999.
Iglesias is therefore not required to immediately defend his title against the IBF’s No. 1 contender. He has a period during which he can make a voluntary defense, provided he follows the organization’s rules.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Osleys Iglesias
From Amateur to Professional
Before becoming the undefeated boxer who is about to arrive in Quebec City, Oliver Zaren first made his mark as an amateur in Denmark. He fought 40 amateur bouts, winning 30 of them, notably representing the Jyllinge Boxing Team and C.I.K. Boksning. He was also Sjælland champion and competed in the Danish national championships.
At just 19 years old, Zaren decided to turn professional. He fought his final amateur bout in June 2019 before making his professional debut on July 4, 2019, in Aabenraa, Denmark. At the time, he was presented as a young talent with the potential to go far, with the eventual ambition of fighting for a world championship.
Strengths
He is a well-rounded boxer who can adapt to several styles inside the ring. He controls distance, boxes in an organized manner, and never gets drawn into a toe-to-toe brawl. His matchmaking, let’s say, has not been designed to rush him through the ranks; he has been developed gradually. He is durable and has no trouble going the distance in his fights. At 6-foot-3, he has an excellent frame for the division, and his bread and butter is controlling distance and establishing his jab, summed up in one word: Methodical.
“Oliver has tremendous talent and he works extremely hard. I see exceptional talent. He has the skills, the reach, and he can box equally well as a southpaw or orthodox fighter. He can go all the way.” – Mikkel Kessler
Photo: BoxingScene – Oliver Zaren
Weaknesses
He has been relatively untested, both in Denmark and abroad. Facing Osleys Iglesias will be a massive step up in competition. He is not really prepared for this level if we look at his recent opponents. To quote Mikkel Kessler himself: he felt that Zaren worked too hard during his rounds and would sometimes slow down as he tired himself out. We have no idea how he will react under pressure, because he has never truly been tested or hurt during his career.
To sum up my thoughts: the problem with Oliver Zaren is not that he is a bad fighter. It’s that we still don’t know how he will react when someone of Osleys Iglesias’ caliber takes away the comfort he has enjoyed in the majority of his fights.
We have a quality main event in Quebec City with this IBF title defense between two undefeated men. Wilkens Mathieu vs. Vladimir Shishkin is intriguing and I’ll come back to that, Khataev/McCrory and Santana/Asanau, Vincent Tremblay is getting my guest room ready, I’ll be in Quebec City in October.
As for my prediction: Osleys Iglesias in the 8th round.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Osleys Iglesias
