Zamkovoi and Kate set for crunch Welterweight clash in Kemerovo
24 July 2015
The incredible AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) Cycle I Round 2 series of matches continues on Friday night in Kemerovo, Russia as four key Welterweight (69 kg) bouts will be available to watch live and free from 20:00 (GMT +7) at https://www.youtube.com/user/AIBAproboxingTV.
In the main event of the evening, Andrei Zamkovoi (RUS) and Gyula Kate (HUN) battle for not only a coveted APB title match against Welterweight Champion Onur Sipal (TUR), but also a qualification quota for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Zamkovoi has won four of his five matches in APB, and is eager to qualify for Rio 2016 after winning bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Although he struggled in his opening APB matches, the 33-year-old two-time AIBA World Championships bronze medalist Kate was phenomenal in Round 1 when he turned on the style superbly against number one ranked Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Okwiri (KEN).
His Russian opponent edged a tight decision in his Round 1 match with Eimantas Stanionis (LIT), and will be looking for a more decisive performance in front of his passionate supporters in Kemerovo.
“I would like to thank all of the fans in Kemerovo, who have supported me during the bout against Stanionis. It gave me the strength I needed and I really hope that I will experience the same support in Round 2. I have trained very hard and I think I’m much better prepared for this upcoming bout”, said Zamkovoi.
At 33-years-old, Kate is one of the most experienced boxers in this competition so will not be fazed by the partisan crowd, and the Hungarian is fearless in the ring from beginning to end.
“I’ve been training tirelessly with my coach and I am currently in a very good shape. I am confident that I will win this bout”, he said.
Both competitors offer relatively similar styles in the ring, with Zamkovoi a pressure fighter who loves to attack his opponents with clubbing shots, while Kate’s excellent upper body movement allows him to utilise dangerous hooks from either hand.
Another prominent bout will take place on the undercard involving Arisnoidys Despaigne (CUB), who made history in Round 1 by becoming the first Cuban athlete to compete in APB.
The 2013 AIBA World Championships silver medalist dominated his bout with Dimitros Tsagkrakos (GRE), but faces a difficult challenge on Friday night against 2013 AIBA World Championships bronze medalist Araik Marutjan.
Despaigne is incredibly strong and superbly fast, while Marutjan is a rapid combination puncher with plenty of heart.
Two further Welterweight matches will feature in Russia, beginning with an intriguing clash between Amin Ghasemi Pour (IRI) and Dimitros Tsagrakos (GRE), while both Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Okwiri (KEN) and Eimantas Stanionis (LIT) will be looking for a vital victory in order to move up the APB rankings.
Match schedule:
- Amin GHASEMI POUR (IRI) vs Dimitrios TSAGKRAKOS (GRE)
- Araik MARUTJAN (GER) vs Arisnoidys DESPAIGNE (CUB)
- Rayton OKWIRI (KEN) vs Eimantas STANIONIS (LTU)
- Andrei ZAMKOVOI (RUS) vs Gyula KATE (HUN)
