By James Slater – Maybe it’s still a little early to get carried away over unbeaten Russian slugger Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov; after all he’s still just 14-0(14) as a pro. However, the southpaw’s opponents, one by one, have been carried away from the ring after trying to deal with his uncommonly heavy hands (“shovels,” as the 31-year-old refers to his dangerous hands).
Raw, yet possessing raw punching power, the Oxnard-based terror has yet to be taken past the 4th-round and ten of his wins came in the very first round.. Abdusalamov has not been matched soft either: Rich Power had only lost once at the time of his meeting with Mago, Pedro Rodriguez (an admittedly out of shape former cruiserweight) was unbeaten, as was Jason Pettaway, and last night’s victim, Maurice Byarm, had lost just once previously – to fellow prospect Bryant Jennings.
But while Philly’s Jennings (the man Freddie Roach recently called the best young heavyweight prospect in America) had a tough, competitive fight with Byarm, winning a close ten-round decision, Abdusalamov totally destroyed Byarm last night; punishing him in the 1st-round and taking him out in the 2nd. Looking even more impressive than he has in the past, lefty Mago made a statement. He may also have made other heavyweight contenders and their managers think about ducking for cover whenever his name is mentioned.
Already, Sampson Lewkowicz, Mago’s promoter, says he is having real trouble finding suitable opponents for his banger (with reports suggesting guys like Tyson Fury have said no thanks when offered a fight with the latest “Beast from The East”), and things could get even tougher from here on in. Just how dangerous is Abdusalamov and how good can he become? The respected Nigel Collins wrote on his Twitter page that a year from now Abdusalamov will be facing Wladimir Klitschko, and that he is far from sure “Dr. Steel Hammer” will be made a significant favourite.
Some fans will raise their eyebrows at such a comment, but after a year’s more experience (say another four or five fights, a couple of them against top-10 guys; if Mago can get any to step in the ring with him, that is!) Abdusalamov may indeed be ready to rumble with the very best. Again, it’s still too early to get carried away and start predicting that Mago will defeat the Klitschkos, yet the way he he’s going, Abdusalamov will get his chance pretty soon.
I’d love to see Mago in with a slick boxer, say an Eddie Chambers, or a guy who can crack as well as he can himself (if there is anyone out there, the Klitschkos aside, who can hit quite as hard and heavy as he can), and if he were to come through such a test, I’d be even more impressed with Abdusalamov.
Hopefully, the big fights will come and Mago will get his chance to earn a shot at the title. But even if he never actually wins the crown, Abdusalamov is going to be a whole lot of fun to watch.