Boogeyman is the term most often associated with Osleys Iglesias. For those curious, “boogeyman” in French is croque-mitaine. In folklore, the croque-mitaine was said to be the devil’s cat who, to pass the time, ate children.
Don’t hide your kids, though, Osleys Iglesias has only been devouring 168-pound fighters since turning professional. Knocking out Petro Ivanov, Vladimir Shishkin and Pavel Silyagin is very impressive. And it’s all about the way he does it: he’s never in danger, doesn’t even look like he’s forcing the knockout, yet the result is always the same, a victory before the final bell.
When you possess a rare gem like Osleys Iglesias, it’s often through matchmaking that you can create a legend and make several million dollars. Now that he is IBF champion, we’ll discover what strategy Camille Estephan has for his champion.
History shows us that Camille is very ambitious… but David Lemieux or Mary Spencer didn’t even get a single title defense. Christian M’Billi could suffer the same fate against Canelo Alvarez, the Mexican has aged, but counting him out in advance would be a mistake. I’ve established four possible strategies for what comes next for the IBF champion.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Osleys Iglesias
Fighters we know well as a first defense
Kevin Lele Sadjo (28-1, 25 KOs) is ranked 10th by the IBF. He has punching power, the size, a complicated history with EOTTM, and even the fact that he speaks French works in his favor. The Punisher also went the full 12 rounds with Diego Pacheco and even knocked him down in the 8th round. He’s my favorite choice, if we’re picking from the top 15, we might as well go after a fighter with an 89% KO rate who is built like a bodybuilder and speaks French.
Less exciting, but Malik Zinad (24-1, 18 KOs) is also a candidate for an optional defense. The Libyan boxer already went six rounds with Dmitry Bivol and is ranked 7th by the IBF. It’s not my preferred choice, but I’m trying to understand why he moved down to 168 pounds. His trainer Shane McGuigan recently stated that the plan is to face Hamza Sheeraz, we can assume that a shot at the IBF belt could tempt him as well.
Fighters in a tough situation
This is one of my old promoter tricks in case I ever run a powerful stable of fighters like EOTTM. If I were Camille Estephan, I would call Lester Martinez (20-1, 16 KOs), the Guatemalan is really in a rough spot. He has fought only once since his draw against Christian M’Billi. The Frenchman multiplies fancy restaurant dinners, buys watches and real estate, dreams about Canelo, while Lester Martinez fights once a year on small ProBox cards.
“Killing two birds with one stone”
We remove Lester Martinez from the equation as the mandatory challenger for Christian M’Billi, and Osleys Iglesias knocks him out to establish himself as the most dangerous man at 168 pounds.
Photo: Boxing News – Kevin Lele Sadjo
Jacob Bank is ranked 7th by the IBF and just outclassed William Scull, whom he certainly didn’t treat like a schoolboy. He was leading by 13 points before stopping him in the 12th round at home in Denmark. Bank is upset because he believed he would get his chance with the WBO — he thought he had been designated for a fight with Hamza Sheeraz, but nothing worked out. The problem is that nobody knows Jacob Bank, and he’s dangerous. But at that point, the matchup would please boxing purists.
The Interbox method
This is another approach that is less in Camille Estephan’s DNA but could be worth considering to increase Osleys Iglesias’ value: a knockout every five months against fighters ranked far down the list. It pads the record, creates fear, and we wait for the big paycheck overseas.
Oliver Zaren, ranked 11th by the IBF, already has a crooked nose and a bloodshot eye in his BoxRec photo. He has a 19-0 record with only a 42% knockout rate. As Danish as Bank, but with a record inflated like helium. However, he has the advantage of being IBF-ranked, and sometimes you have to make optional defenses. His nickname: The Great Dane.
Junior Younan (22-0-1, 14 KOs) is nicknamed Young God. In his last fight he knocked out Luka Lozo in the first round. He has two great qualities: he is ranked 15th by the IBF and he is American. He lives in New York and is represented by Joe DeGuardia, why not a title defense at the Casino de Montréal? DAZN’s presence would help promote Osleys Iglesias.
Photo: Fight News – Oliver Zaren (left)
Out-of-left-field options
The WBC champion at 160 pounds, Carlos Adames, moves up to the super-middleweight division. He has a style that could make Iglesias look bad and is a very credible opponent. Record of 25-1-1, with a draw against Hamza Sheeraz, he would be an extraordinary opponent for our IBF champion.
Chris Eubank Jr. still has a name that sounds prestigious. I would try to make him believe that I’m offering him a nice gift: another opportunity, an IBF world championship fight. Osleys Iglesias could even take the opportunity to make his debut on British soil, we want $3 million USD. The British buy every fight offered to them, and we could certainly fill an arena with this world championship bout.
I know one thing: fighters won’t be knocking on the door to face Osleys Iglesias. But with an IBF belt around his waist, there are ways to be creative, challenge other champions, or find profitable opponents. We’ve seen Camille Estephan succeed in creating opportunities for his fighters. Now comes the final exam: cash in on the belts, keep them, and create legends.
Photo: Yahoo Sports – Chris Eubank Jr. (left)
In the podcast
Leila Beaudoin delivered a strong performance both in boxing and as an actress. She managed the impressive feat of making me believe before her fight that she knew nothing… yet in the ring at the Casino she admitted that she will fight for a world championship on June 11. I can’t wait to understand how, because Caroline Veyre and Alicia Baumgardner hold all the titles.
Arthur Biyarslanov just produced the round of the year, the 3rd, for those curious, during his clash with Jimerr Espinosa. With Richarson Hitchins moving to Zuffa Boxing and up to 147 pounds, it’s only a matter of time before “The Wolf” fights for the IBF world championship.
