The undefeated Russian will keep the belt that Canelo left behind. Shishkin: a modest top star
Sergey Sorokin October 16, 2024, 12:45 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Vladimir has always had his sights set on Álvarez’s “crown.”
A brilliant evening of boxing will take place on October 19 in Falkensee, Germany. Of particular interest is the fight for the IBF super middleweight belt, which became vacant after Saúl Álvarez rejected the mandatory defense. Now the undefeated Russian Vladimir Shishkin will fight for the title. And his opponent will be the dangerous Cuban William Scull. It is worth noting that Vladimir’s opponent is also undefeated at the professional level. Both have received their first title opportunity, so they will try to make the most of it.
Shishkin is not the brightest representative of his division in terms of conversations. Vladimir prefers to show everything in the ring. And there things are going really well for the Russian. Shishkin has 16 fights, each of which invariably ended with victory. In addition, Vladimir ended fights ahead of schedule 10 times. The Russian tries to be as active as possible: in 2024 he will have his second fight. Previous opponent was Mike Guy. In the seventh round, Shishkin won by technical knockout.
Vladimir is a great underrated star. He takes down one opponent after another, looking more and more convincing. A bright future has long been predicted for the Russian. And they even match Canelo on paper, calling him the optimal opponent for the Mexican. Shishkin is now 33 years old; At this age, boxers, as a rule, flourish and reach their peak. And the first step towards a great challenge can be taken in a confrontation with Skull. The title can become a starting point, after which a career will take off abruptly. The main thing is to cope with anxiety, which is simply inevitable in such a situation. The first fight for the belt in his career promises to be difficult.
Vladimir Shishkin (right)
Photo: From the athlete’s personal file.
Scull has an even more impressive record of 22-0. True, he defeated his opponents ahead of schedule less often and scored only nine knockouts. But this does not make the Cuban any less dangerous. On the contrary, William moved forward and did not force events, carefully raising the level of opposition. Skull is not going to count on a knockout; the last four fights ended in a judges’ decision. At the same time, there was not much intrigue on the referee’s cards. But Shishkin is far from the level of opposition that once stood in Skull’s way. It is much stronger, more versatile and more interesting.
Vladimir finished three of his last four fights ahead of schedule. It is curious that from the beginning of his professional career he was in no hurry to quickly finish off his opponents. Most of the time this happens after the halfway point of the battle. By this time, significant damage has been accumulated and the tonnage of Shishkin’s blows increases. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will abandon your favorite tactics. At the same time, it is absolutely impossible to submit the matter to a judge for decision. Skull likes to throw punches and is stylistically very similar to Dmitry Bivol. Therefore, Vladimir can try to simply “pass through” his opponent.
Vladimir Shishkin
Photo: From the athlete’s personal file.
Now Vladimir is on the verge of a very important achievement in his career. He could very well become a true star of the division. And no longer “hidden”. Shishkin’s promoter, Dmitry Salita, has long pointed out the Russian’s danger. And he even calls Vladimir the main contender to collect all the belts in his weight class: “Vladimir is one of the main contenders for the super middleweight title, if not the most important. Champions will only fight him when necessary, and right now he’s in a position to win it over. “I believe in activity, so when the fight with Canelo happens, Wladimir will still be ready to be called up.”
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But first, the Russians must defeat the unbreakable Skull. And if Shishkin passes the test of strength, he will most likely have the opportunity to fight Canelo. The confrontation with the Mexican literally elevated Bivol’s career. Now Vladimir will try to follow the same path.
