Alex Arthur vs. Boris Sinitsin: From Russia with Gloves.

I know what you’re thinking: “Wow, James, what a great title.” Unfortunately, I’m not quite that creative when it comes to headings. In fact, “From Russia with Gloves” is the amusing tagline bestowed upon this weekend’s Alex Arthur-Boris Sinitsin card, a veritable make or break night for the talented, young Edinburgh native. Simply put, if Arthur finds his way past the cagey veteran, a crack at a world title is all but guaranteed. If he loses, his only previous loss, to Michael Gomez, will seem like a wet dream by comparison. In this day and age, where a fighter’s record is seemingly the be all and end all, two losses to meager opposition within the space of a year-and-a half is tantamount to career suicide. And that is why since that bone-breaking wake-up call from Michael Gomez, Alex has been meticulous in his preparation for each and every fight, oftentimes veering on overtraining, regardless of opposition. In fact, his most recent fights, both this upcoming fight and the Craig Docherty bout, have been victim to cruel delays, forcing Alex into an additional fortnight’s training. You won’t hear Arthur complain, though; he is all too aware of the sacrifices that have to be made to become a top prizefighter. His veteran opponent, however, has been around the block a few times and then once more for good measure. And you can bet that Sinitsin’s training regime will have been equally rigorous.

The thirty-four-year-old Moscow native is a curious fighter to break down. For a start, he is no Ivan Drago, despite his roots. A fifty-four-fight veteran, he is the type of fighter who has gotten better with age (I’ll avoid any cliched wine analogies). He is a fighter who, due to experience, has gradually improved fight after fight. Physically, he has remained relatively uniform, never being the most naturally talented. In fact, talent-wise, he looks like Carlos Maussa compared to Arthur. It is Sinitsin’s experience that sets him apart, however. Even when outgunned, he gets the job done. His last fight, against Craig Docherty ironically, illustrates this point perfectly. Physically, Sinitsin was at a distinct disadvantage, but his experience, tactics and know how saw him through. You may call him “dirty” and technically, you would be correct. He does bend the rules to breaking point, but he gets away with it. Now, I’m not one to condone rule breaking, but the man makes it look like an art form. And that is what Sinitsin will rely on this Saturday. Barring experience, he will be outgunned in every way; therefore, once again the Russian will rely on his smarts to grind out a result against a technically superior foe.

“How do you see this fight going?” I hear you cry. If I’m honest, I simply can’t see past Arthur. Based solely on their respective performances against Docherty it is an easy choice. But more than that, Arthur just brings so much more to the table than Docherty. Technically, he is in a different league. More importantly, his natural power and his ability to move through the gears make him an infinitely more daunting prospect for the Russian. I don’t for a second imagine that the fight will be a walkover. In fact, Sinitsin will be a thorough test for Arthur and will allow us to better gauge his potential. Tactically, this will be a huge learning fight for Alex. Sinitsin’s experience will ensure that Arthur works for this fight. And in my opinion, it will be the later rounds before Arthur really gets to his man, probably stopping him between the ninth and the twelfth (apologies for the criminally indecisive prediction).

Historically, it is a massive fight for Arthur, too, as winning this fight will mark him as being the first Scottish boxer to simultaneously hold the British, Commonwealth and European titles since Jackie Patterson in 1946. As stated before, it will also pave the way for his much sought after world title shot. And with his wedding to long-time partner Debbie coming up later this year, wouldn’t that just top it all off?

Contact James MacDonald at ac009b5460@blueyonder.co.uk