Is Lebedev capable to become the CW champion again ?

[ValMar]

Considering Usyk as a HW, what do you think about Lebedev and his chance to become the champion at CW ?
Is he too old (and shot) ?

[jamamb]

depends, hes still decent and still fully capable of winning a vacant title fight vs a nobody, but i dont see him beating the legit proven cw contenders. he lacks the explosiveness to his punches that he used to have.

id like to see him fight that armenian-french guy who has the interim wba title.

hearn wants to make okolie-lebedev and that tells you what eddie thinks of where lebs at now imo

[DrDuke]

depends, hes still decent and still fully capable of winning a vacant title fight vs a nobody, but i dont see him beating the legit proven cw contenders. he lacks the explosiveness to his punches that he used to have.

I think the same.

[gilgamesh]

Capable of winning a belt maybe, doubtful he'll ever be THE MAN in the division. Just a guy with a belt.

[oogiebe]

He is far from matching Usyk. He'll never be more than a 'floater' at this point. Nothing exceptional here.

[ValMar]

Capable of winning a belt maybe, doubtful he'll ever be THE MAN in the division. Just a guy with a belt.

I can imagine (easily, very easily) this kind of scenario for November 2019 at CW division. So, there are four belt-holders (similar to current LHW situation) satisfied with their respective status, not so willing to fight each others. Can I imagine Lebedev as a belt-holder ? I am not sure, perhaps 50% chance (if Gassiev moves up at HW -then 70%).................

Let me try to predict : Briedis, Dorticos, Glowacki and Gassiev/Lebedev.

[TheBeast]

Saturday 24, November 2018
Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin, Monte Carlo, Monaco
promoter Matchroom Boxing - Eddie Hearn



cruiserweight
Denis Lebedev 31 2 0
vs
Mike Wilson 19 0 0

Lebedev won by UD




The division has been one of the most competitive for the last decade. I think Lebedev was a top CW when he could be aggressive enough to apply his pop particularly with short shots and uppercuts. But now i think he has limits he didn't have before and could be outboxed by some of the younger talented CWs.



FULL CARD HIGHLIGHTS HERE:
https://www.the13thround.com/phpBB2/vie ... 8&t=128923

ENJOY!!

[candyslim]

Lebedev is a talented fighter but nobody beats Father Time and I think he no longer capable of beating the top guys and most definitely not Usyk.

[klitoris]

Well the WBA is certainly capable of handing the title to him and Lebedev's team is certainly capable of giving them some money to do that, so in virtue of those two capabilities, yes he is capable to become the WBA champion again!

[candyslim]

I was going on the basis of him beating a Gassiev, a Briedis, even a Dorticos, rather than any WBA inspired jiggery-pokery.

That bird has flown but these governing bodies are masters of the dark arts of course.

[jamamb]

i really want to see him vs that unbeaten armenian guy. that would seem to me maybe the highest level he might still be able to win at

[dagilechia]

i would like to see Denis ''Specnaz'' Lebedev vs Krzysztof ''Diablo'' Włodarczyk

[Cent0089]

He just got a win over undefeated oponent. Take it and hang the gloves. Top cruisers are in tournament right now and IMO he will be not capable to defeat them at age of 40+.

[Cent0089]

i really want to see him vs that unbeaten armenian guy. that would seem to me maybe the highest level he might still be able to win at

Well, this is an option, i agree with you

[Ruthless-RKO]

i would like to see Denis ''Specnaz'' Lebedev vs Krzysztof ''Diablo'' Włodarczyk

Would be evenly matched.

[Ricky]

Lebedev stinks.

[ironbeard]

Lebedev stinks.

[ezhmael]

I just think he could beat Dorticos.

[Enlightened-One]

Considering Usyk as a HW, what do you think about Lebedev and his chance to become the champion at CW ?
Is he too old (and shot) ?

It depends on how the main four governing bodies decide on the fighters that will challenge for their vacant world championships, when Usyk eventually relinquishes all of his belts.

If he’s matched against one of the weaker cruiserweights for one of the vacant straps then he might just win another world championship, but it has to happen soon, because father time is definitely not on his side.

However, if I was forced to avoid sitting on the fence and commit myself to making a prediction, I’d say that Lebedev won’t be able to regain any version of the cruiserweight title. He’s currently unranked, he only beat a fringe (ranked 11th by the WBA) contender last weekend and there are too many other fighters ahead of him in the queue for a shot at one of the major belts.

If the Russian southpaw is forced to wait 18 months to a couple of years for a shot at one of the championships, then it’s more likely he’ll be defeated sooner than gaining an opportunity to win one of the alphabet titles.

[dagilechia]

i heard that Lebedev will be automatically declared a champion if Usyk vacates his belts, is that true?

[Enlightened-One]

i heard that Lebedev will be automatically declared a champion if Usyk vacates his belts, is that true?

I didn’t know this until I just checked, but is seems that Denis Lebedev is the WBA’s “Champion in Recess”, which I think means he’s guaranteed a shot at either Usyk or to compete for the vacant championship when he’s ready to do so.

Lebedev isn't competing in the second season of the WBSS, but many of the WBA’s highest-ranked contenders are, so I don’t know how the situation would pan out when Usyk eventually vacates this belt.

It seems pointless for the WBA to order a bout between Lebedev and one of the guys contractually-committed to participating in the WBSS, as they won’t be able to accept the title opportunity (as they’ll have to face other guys competing in the same tournament).

So who knows what will happen? It's the rancid WBA, so they might just decide to create more belts to keep everyone happy.

Coincidentally, didn’t Denis Lebedev headline a Matchroom Boxing fight card last weekend, in an event staged in Monte-Carlo? Isn’t Oleksandr Usyk also signed with the same promoter and has two bouts remaining from his three-fight deal with Matchroom?

Eddie Hearn will probably strategically manoeuvre the various chess pieces within his organisation and use his powerful influence over the sports governing bodies to ensure that Matchroom/DAZN remains control over the ownership of all four cruiserweight titles.

[Ruthless-RKO]

At least 3 of the vacant titles will be awards to the winner of the WBSS.

WBC Diamand belt likely with Briedis.

WBO will be awarded to Glowacki who is Interim champion. IBF I believe have a mandatory fight next involving 2 of the boxers.

As champion in recess, I doubt Lebedev will just be given the belt. But WBA rankings have always stunk!

[dagilechia]

At least 3 of the vacant titles will be awards to the winner of the WBSS.

WBC Diamand belt likely with Briedis.

WBO will be awarded to Glowacki who is Interim champion. IBF I believe have a mandatory fight next involving 2 of the boxers.

As champion in recess, I doubt Lebedev will just be given the belt. But WBA rankings have always stunk!

i heard that he will be automatically awarded the title if Usyk vacates, also i heard that WBA ordered the Usyk-Lebedev fight, the deadline is 10 march 2019. this video from Polish boxing portal ringpolska.pl literally says that. (it's in Polish, i just give the link as a source)

[TempleSlave]

At least 3 of the vacant titles will be awards to the winner of the WBSS.

WBC Diamand belt likely with Briedis.

WBO will be awarded to Glowacki who is Interim champion. IBF I believe have a mandatory fight next involving 2 of the boxers.

As champion in recess, I doubt Lebedev will just be given the belt. But WBA rankings have always stunk!

i heard that he will be automatically awarded the title if Usyk vacates, also i heard that WBA ordered the Usyk-Lebedev fight, the deadline is 10 march 2019. this video from Polish boxing portal ringpolska.pl literally says that. (it's in Polish, i just give the link as a source)

I think that would be fairly good match up for Lebedev. Diablo seems to me to have declined further and I can’t see what he could possibly trouble Lebedev with at this stage.

[Enlightened-One]

At least 3 of the vacant titles will be awards to the winner of the WBSS.

WBC Diamand belt likely with Briedis.

WBO will be awarded to Glowacki who is Interim champion. IBF I believe have a mandatory fight next involving 2 of the boxers.

As champion in recess, I doubt Lebedev will just be given the belt. But WBA rankings have always stunk!

i heard that he will be automatically awarded the title if Usyk vacates, also i heard that WBA ordered the Usyk-Lebedev fight, the deadline is 10 march 2019. this video from Polish boxing portal ringpolska.pl literally says that. (it's in Polish, i just give the link as a source)

I think that would be fairly good match up for Lebedev. Diablo seems to me to have declined further and I can’t see what he could possibly trouble Lebedev with at this stage.

I haven’t been able to find any credible sources to confirm what you’ve said. However, I did manage to find only one article that mentions this:

"LEBEDEV WINS SNOOZER IN MONACO"

In the Monte Carlo main event, former cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev of Russia scored an uninspired points win over previously unbeaten and untested Mike Wilson.

The fight was uneventful and showed that Lebedev, though a class above Oregon's Wilson, is past his prime and has chosen his recent opponents carefully with good reason. Official scores were 117-111 and 119-109 (twice). Lebedev seemed unwilling or unable to try for a kncokout.

The fight was announced as a WBA eliminator and Lebedev is the WBA champion in recess whose promoters appear to hold considerable sway with the WBA. Although the WBA is notoriously shifty with multiple champions per weight class, this could turn out to be a very significant win for Lebedev, as world champion Oleksandr Usyk may vacate the WBA title, and Lebedev the winner may very well wind up inheriting the WBA belt without beating a champion or even a legitimate contender.

This would be an utter disgrace if it happened!

Denis Lebedev was allowed to retain ownership of his WBA Super World Cruiserweight title, despite losing. Then he lost his belt outside the ring (shortly after successfully defending it), without suffering a defeat, without failing a drug test, without bringing the sport into disrepute and nor due to inactivity. And may soon regain the very same WBA title again, without having to beat a champion or even a legitimate contender.