BoxRec

Press Release

Undefeated heavyweight power puncher Apti Davtaev will face veteran Lucas Browne in the 10-round co-main event of SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION on Saturday, March 28, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas. Davtaev replaces heavyweight contender Otto Wallin, who was forced to suspend training and withdraw from his scheduled bout due to an injury to his foot.

From Kurchaloi, Russia, Davtaev (20-0-1, 19 KOs) has earned a 90-percent knockout ratio with his aggressive style and devastating power. The athletic, 30-year-old has remained active since moving his camp to the United States in 2017 after signing with Salita Promotions. He trains at Kronk Gym in Detroit, Mich., under the tutelage of SugarHill Steward, nephew of legendary Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward.

"Otto suffered a minor injury and suspending training was the smart thing to do," said Wallin's promoter Dmitriy Salita. "He will be back in the ring in no time. Fortunately, Apti was in top shape and ready to go. He is a gifted heavyweight and he'll be on everyone's radar after March 28."

In his last outing on February 21, the six-foot-five-inch Davtaev handed previously unbeaten John Napari his first defeat with a vicious second-round knockout. A few weeks prior, on January 10, he scored an impressive third-round stoppage over veteran Keith Barr. This is his fifth start in the U.S. and first nationally televised bout.

Fighting out of New South Wales, Australia, Browne (29-2, 25 KOs) most recently scored a knockout victory over John Hopoate in November, his second win of 2019. He's won four of his last five bouts, with his only career losses coming to Dillian Whyte and David Allen in the U.K. Browne won his first 25 pro fights, including a stoppage of Ruslan Chagaev in 2016 to capture a WBA Heavyweight Championship. He will be making his U.S. debut.

The three-fight SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast features unbeaten former bantamweight world champion Luis Nery (30-0, 24 KOs) taking on undefeated contender Aaron Alameda (25-0, 13 KOs) in a WBC Super Bantamweight Title Eliminator main event. Rising light heavyweight prospects Joseph George (10-0, 6 KOs) and Marcos Escudero (10-1, 9 KOs) open the telecast with a 10-round rematch of their November ShoBox showdown that saw George win a narrow-split decision.

“I am always ready to fight,” Davtaev said. “Year round, I am in shape, I stay in the gym and do not relax. For me this is a great opportunity to declare myself on the big stage in the heavyweight division and of course I was glad to accept this fight.”

If you haven’t seen him, Davtaev is a rugged righty. He’s not a fancy type, but he’s getting better on being loose, relaxed, so punches flow more. Sugarhill has him staying lighter on his feet, and that helps his rhythm. His hand speed deceives a bit, and he can counter you more than you think his size and look suggest he would. Squaring up less when he gets into range will help him as he edges up the ladder.

“The fight with Keith Barr and John Napari the result was as expected for me,” Davtaev said. “I saw a lot of progress in my training and fulfilled my plan for the fights, which was set to me by the coaches.”

Browne isn’t at his peak, but he figures to have more in the tank than Barr and Napari did. “Lucas Browne is an excellent boxer, for a very long time I wanted to fight with a famous rival and show the whole world that I am in line for the heavyweight world title,” Davtaev continued, referring to the fact that the Aussie has met James Toney, Ruslan Chagaev and Dillian Whyte, solid names. “For me, the fight with Lucas is the most important in my career, but at the same time it is an ordinary boxing match.”

Sounds smart, seems like he’s not attaching excessive import to the assignment, then. “I’ll just go out and do my job.”

I checked in with Salita, trying to get a sense on how he rates Davtaev, versus the southpaw Wallin, whose stock rose when he hung tough versus Tyson Fury in their Sept. 14, 2019 clash. (Fury snagged a UD12 victory.)

“Apti and Otto are completely different fighters,” Salita said. “The fight versus Lucas Browne is a big test for Apti. He has been looking very good in the gym but the ultimate test of that is the ring and will see what Apti is all about on March 28th.

“If all goes well and he passes the test of Lucas Brown in a spectacular way like I think he can I see him fighting for a world title in a year. He has talent, power, size and skills. With the training regime that he had for the last two years under Sugarhill Steward (below, left, posing with the 250 pound pugilist), I believe he has all the tools to be a big force in the division. On March 28th he will have a big test and if he passes it the sky is the limit!”

Browne has been stopped twice, in both his losses. A flashy ending, Davtaev by KO, could grab some of the attention that has flowed away from Kownacki.

Yeah, it may not be “fair,” but this is boxing.

All is fair in love, war….and boxing.

by Michael Woods

Apti Davtaev is my pick here, by mid to late rounds TKO.

Is there a Chechen guy who doesn't look mean as eff?

Hope Browne gets iced.

dude is an absolute douchebag.

Uppercut1 wrote: ↑10 Mar 2020, 18:22 Hope Browne gets iced.

dude is an absolute douchebag.

Y is he a dbag?

the drug cheating. The pulling out of fights cause Aus doesn't pay enough, but then turning around offering to fight a Rugby player for free... in Aus!

Sending Whyte ape pictures on twitter. There's more, I just can't remember right now.

Uppercut1 wrote: ↑10 Mar 2020, 18:34 the drug cheating. The pulling out of fights cause Aus doesn't pay enough, but then turning around offering to fight a Rugby player for free... in Aus!

Sending Whyte ape pictures on twitter. There's more, I just can't remember right now.

The Whyte picture was a misunderstanding. It was an orangutan. They have long arms. Whyte has long arms.

Browne is married to a Jamaican woman. No need for him to be racist.

oh my bad.

All is forgiven.

Go Browney!!!!!!!

I like him. Mind you his pulling out of the Demsey McKean showdown is disappointing but I can see why he'd want to swerve that, (risk v reward) he just shouldn't have taken it in the first place.

Having said that I imagine he's in for an evening that's every bit as painful against Humpty Dumptyev

Davtaev will KO Browne. Davtaev is younger, bigger, solid fundamentally, hard-hitting. Browne is actually an overblown never-was and now he's even declined.

Browne was initially slated to face Otto Wallin, who notably had a strong performance against world champion Tyson Fury last September, but the Swedish contender was forced to withdraw from the fight just weeks after it was formally announced due to a foot injury.

When asked if the sudden change affected training camp, Browne told The Ring it actually helped his preparation.

“To be honest, no, it hasn’t affected my training,” Browne said. “Davtaev and I are the same height, and that’s probably better for me.”

In 21 fights, the 30-year-old Davtaev, who hails from Russia is 20-0-1 with 19 knockouts. Despite his high KO ratio, Browne believes his foe lacks experience and will look to expose that in the ring.

“He hasn’t gone deep into the late rounds,” he continued. “I believe that is where I strive and get stronger.”

“I see myself performing well against guys like (former titleholder) Charles Martin, Luis Ortiz, and Adam Kownacki (who was stopped in the fourth round by Robert Helenius on Saturday),” Browne said. “I am interested in competitive money fights.”

Browne gasses out early in last fights, always looking tired.

Davtaev by TKO in 6.

Betro09 wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 15:04 Browne gasses out early in last fights, always looking tired.

Davtaev by TKO in 6.

Can’t believe he said he gets stronger as the fight progresses.

It is kind of a self-denial I think.

That might have been true once. He was well behind when he kayoed Chagaev for example, but that was then and this is now.

candyslim wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 18:56 That might have been true once. He was well behind when he kayoed Chagaev for example, but that was then and this is now.

That was also full of gear and not having been sparked by Dave Allen as well.

candyslim wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 18:56 That might have been true once. He was well behind when he kayoed Chagaev for example, but that was then and this is now.

He was losing to old, fat and semi-retired Chagaev. And his best achievement is KOing Chagaev. Browne is so overblown.

I'm not arguing but I still like the bloke.

DrDuke wrote: ↑12 Mar 2020, 06:29

candyslim wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 18:56 That might have been true once. He was well behind when he kayoed Chagaev for example, but that was then and this is now.

He was losing to old, fat and semi-retired Chagaev. And his best achievement is KOing Chagaev. Browne is so overblown.

And he was dropped by Chagaev too.

Davtaev via T/KO within 6 rounds
Browne got KO'D by Dave the match fixing Allen ffs

Davtaev's coming out party. He'll destroy Browne.

Davtaev within 3.

March 28 Luis Nery-Aaron Alameda headlined card is cancelled

The Showtime-televised card slated for March 28 featuring former bantamweight titlist Luis Nery and Aaron Alameda is off.

The Athletic was first to report the story.

The news comes in the wake of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s vote on Saturday to suspend all combat events in the state until March 25 to address the coronavirus outbreak that has shut down much of the sports world.

With just three days to the good if the suspension were to be lifted coupled by a high probability of an extension of the hiatus, the cancellation seemed inevitable. MGM and Wynn then announced Sunday evening that they were closing their Las Vegas properties amid the pandemic.

An official with the PBC informed the Ring Sunday evening that a statement regarding the cancellation of the Nery-Alameda card would come “soon.”

The unbeaten Nery (30-0, 24 knockouts), 25 of Mexico, last fought in July when he scored a ninth-round knockout of former titlist Juan Carlos Payano, while Alameda (25-0, 13 KOs), who is also an unbeaten fighter from Mexico, is fresh off a third-round knockout of Nicaraguan journeyman Jordan Escobar last April.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommending that all public gatherings over 50 people be halted for at least the next eight weeks, that could mean no boxing for the next couple months. This, in turn, could mean the postponement of the bantamweight unification bout between Naoya Inoue and John Ariel Casimero, which was initially slated for April 25 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, and the super middleweight title match between superstar Canelo Alvarez and titlist Billy Joe Saunders.