Photo: Boxen1 – Petro Ivanov, undefeated in 20 fights.
Osleys Iglesias’ (12-0, 11 KOs) spectacular 1st-round knockout and the terrifying convulsions of Evgeny Shvedenko made waves around the world last June. For the average person, you’d have to be crazy to want to face the Cuban Tornado. The risk-to-reward ratio isn’t huge, but…
For his next opponent, Petro Ivanov (18-0-2, 13 KOs), to hell with the ratio. Iglesias holds the IBO title. It’s black and white; nothing ventured, nothing gained.
“I’ve worked my entire life for a world title. Yes, Iglesias is dangerous, but at this level, they all are in their own way. So, it seems simple to me: if you want to reach the top, you can’t turn down this kind of challenge,” says the Ukrainian challenger.
An Enigmatic Style
We’re beginning to know Iglesias’ power well—his large build, his long reach—mixed with the best of Cuban technique. But what about Ivanov? Well, to quote what a Quebec coach once told me: “my style is every style.”
“I’m a bit unusual because I’ve visited several boxing schools and trained with different coaches in my life to see and learn as many different techniques as possible. Really, one of my strengths is adapting to each style while also imposing my own.”
It’s a bit like a boxing version of the Montreal Canadiens’ coach Martin St-Louis’ quote: you have to “bring your game into their game.” But beyond all these “styles,” there’s a major addition.
“I think my greatest strength is having a warrior spirit,” adds the fighter, currently training at Match1 Gym under the guidance of coach Dominik Junge in Karlsruhe, southwestern Germany.
‘Like the Klitschkos’
He mentioned it from the start, but a large part of his life has been devoted to boxing. Now 28 years old, it was 17 years ago, in the heart of a double family story, that he first donned gloves.
“I have a twin brother, Pasha, and our father wanted us to be like the [Klitschko] brothers,” recalls Ivanov, who was ultimately the only one to turn professional. “My first fight was at age 11 and ended in a draw. I was disappointed, but from that day on, I wanted to prove to myself that I was stronger and that I could win the next one…” he recounts, in a story similar to Erik Bazinyan, who—according to legend—lost his first amateur fight but won the next 108.
“I won the next one, and many others after that, but improving with each fight—no matter the result—became ‘my’ fight. With discipline, it brought me to where I am today.”
The upsetter
With this mentality, he promises to be the best version of himself (to date) at the Casino de Montréal. He arrives undefeated in 20 fights, making his first-ever trip to Canada. However, one of those victories stands out.
It was in December 2018, two weeks before Christmas. The Ukrainian went to the Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan to face knockout artist Louis ‘Kawai’ Toutin. My friend Laurent Poulin dubbed him ‘the French David Lemieux’. Ironically, at the time, Toutin was having the same record as Iglesias does now: perfect in 12 fights with 11 KOs. He held the WBC Youth World title and seemed to have all the cards in his hand. This was even true for a moment, as Ivanov hit the canvas first. But to quote the French Boxing Federation, ‘he bent but never broke’. Therefore, despite trailing far on the judges’ cards, stopped Toutin in the 9th round.
Understand that Louis Toutin is not Osleys Iglesias, and a win over ‘Kawai’ does not guarantee victory over ‘El Tornado.’ But it does guarantee one thing: that ‘fighting spirit’ Ivanov referred to as his greatest strength is very real.
And so much the better, because on the November 7 poster, it reads ‘The Tornado’s Coming’. So yes, Petro Ivanov will likely need his “warrior spirit.”
