WSB Team Finals – 2nd Leg

49 12 May 2013

Astana Arlans Kazakhstan is the WSB Team Champion

Asia’s leading team Astana Arlans Kazakhstan won the third season of the World Series of Boxing in the Saryarka Velodrome where the local spectators expected a clear home victory after the first 3-2 triumph but the host franchise was able to realize the dreams only in the special part of the battle in the sudden death.

In the opening contest of the day Astana Arlans Kazakhstan’s Miras Zhakupov recorded 3-1 balance in Season III before his bout against Ukraine Otamans’ National Elite Champion Mykola Butsenko. The Kazakh boxer opened well enough in the contest while Butsenko could win the second three minutes due his tiny change in the tactical elements. The host nation’s pride used very attractive combinations in the middle part of their bout and Zhakupov was able to keep the victory despite of his eye injury in the fourth round.

At the lightweight class Astana Arlans Kazakhstan’s Eric Donovan was the favourite against Ukraine Otamans’ Vyacheslav Kyslytsyn who won only one contest in the World Series of Boxing before their bout. The Irish southpaw used a very aggressive tactic while the Ukrainian boxer tried to keep the distance between them and his efforts were more effective than Donovan’s punches. The host franchise’s boxer tried everything in the last round but he was too tired to turn back the contest which meant Kyslytsyn equalized the encounter.

Astana Arlans Kazakhstan’s Konstantin Snigur who is the best Israeli fighter in current days and dominated his home contests in the WSB but he had to fight against a strong rival Ukraine Otamans’ Dmytro Mytrofanov who defeated his main rivals including British Lionhearts’ London 2012 Olympics silver medallist Fred Evans in Season III. The Israeli boxer started better in the first three minutes but Mytrofanov took over the lead very quickly and won another bout for Ukraine Otamans in Astana.

The host franchise’s Iranian boxer Ehsan Rouzbahani met with Oleksandr Gvozdyk in the quarter-final stage of the London 2012 Olympics where the Ukrainian star won their close contest with narrow differences. Rouzbahani made the same efforts as he did in the previous stages of the World Series of Boxing and led by 10:9 after the first round. The Ukrainian boxer came back in the second round and his left hook was more than serious therefore the Kazakh ringside abandoned the fight.

Astana Arlans Kazakhstan’s Ruslan Myrsatayev was achieved the best Asian WSB Boxer trophy last year but he had to step into the canvas in the dangerous situation when Ukraine Otamans led by 5:4 after nine contests. Myrsatayev should win the last contest to save the chance for Astana Arlans Kazakhstan for the sudden death bout. His opponent Ukraine Otamans’ Rostyslav Arkhipenko made an excellent final round in the semi-finals against Dolce & Gabbana Italia Thunder and his performance was enough to advance to the finals of the WSB. Myrsatayev controlled only the beginning and the end of their bout but it was enough for him to equalized the whole encounter in a real hectic battle.

The eleventh contest of the WSB Team Finals the sudden death contest was held in the bantamweight class between Astana Arlans Kazakhstan’s Bagdad Alimbekov and Ukraine Otamans’ Moldovan Alexandr Riscan. The Kazakh boxer was unbeaten during the whole season while his opponent was able to win only his opening contest in the group stage. Alimbekov’s footwork was world class and did not give any chance to his Moldovan rival in the sudden death therefore Astana Arlans Kazakhstan was able to celebrate their well deserved victory in the Season III of the WSB.