New Delhi: Venky’s Mumbai Fighters will have their task cut out in the second phase of the 2011-12 World Series of Boxing with a round six match against the number one team of Milano Thunder from Italy at the Mediolanum Forum in Assago, Milan.
The five-boxer squad on the Milan sojourn will have to fight their skins out to keep the Indian outfit in for a chance in the playoff stage. In Bantamweight, Jitender Kumar will fight Vitaliy Volkov. Volkov beat Balbir Singh when the Italian team had come to India on November 11, 2011.
Jitender on the other hand has one win (walkover) and one loss to his name this season. Diwakar Prasad, who had beaten Juan Javier Carrasco Herrera of Milano Thunder on November 11, 2011, will meet Miklas Vargo in the Lightweight category. The boxer from Milano team has already lost his first match of the season against Vazgen Safaryants of Dynamo Moscow.
Middleweight will see Mandeep Jhangra taking on William McLaughlin. This will be Jhangra’s second match this season after he lost his debut match against Dynamo Moscow in Moscow. On the other hand, McLaughlin started his season with a win over Zaal Kvatchadze of LA Matadors. Marko Calic will finally get into action after getting a walkover in his previous match against LA Matadors.
The Light Heavyweight boxer will take on Ludovic Groguhe. Groguhe who is in a cracking form after he defeated the defending Light Heavyweight Champ Abdelhafid Benchabla through a Technical Knockout (TKO) in his first match this season. He then defeated Dynamo Moscow’s Eduard Yakushev in his second match this season.
In the heavyweight category, Venky’s Mumbai Fighters’ new recruit Mihai Muntean will take on Michal Olas. Muntean has a 3-3 WSB record while fighting for Baku Fires in the last season. Ranked 12th currently, the 31-year old will bring in much-needed stability in the heavyweight category.
Mumbai Fighters are currently placed fifth in Group A with seven points. Dynamo Moscow also has seven points but have more wins compared to Fighters and therefore a step ahead. To qualify for the playoffs, Fighters need to garner eight more points. After the fight in Milan, Fighters will then host two home matches against Moscow on January 20, 2012 and fellow debutants Bangkok Elephants on February 3rd. Their last two matches of the second phase will be away, against LA Matadors on February 13 and against Astana Arlans on February 17, 2012.
Match line-up
Bantamweight
Vitaliy Volkov vs Jitender Kumar
Lightweight
Miklos Varga vs Diwakar Prasad
Middleweight
William McLaughlin vs Mandeep Jangra
Light Heavyweight
Ludovic Groguhe vs Marko Calic
Heavyweight
Michal Olas vs Mihail Muntean
By Indian Sports News Network
