Boxing Profile: Sultan Ibragimov – The Real Deal?

If Ruslan Chagaev can be referred to as the “White Tyson”, then perhaps we have to ask if Sultan Ibragimov can be called by Evander Holyfield’s boxing moniker, the “Real Deal”.

Even though the Russian has languished in relative obscurity throughout his career, he’s managed to capture one of the four major alphabet titles, although it was in boring fashion against an uninspired and uninspiring Shannon Briggs.

But a draw with the also relative unknown Ray Austin, who most recently was KO’d with a series of jabs in a mandatory bout with champion Wladimir Klitschko, shakes the confidence of even the most hopeful optimist.

Sure, we expected Austin to lose to arguably the best heavyweight in the division right now, but to put on such a pathetic show? How could anyone have ever lost to him let alone fight to a draw?

Ibragimov has good power with 17 KOs out of 21 victories and decent speed, but he often neglects his defense when he opens up offensively.

To his credit, at least he’s been willing to risk his chin, but when he scored the knockdown against Austin, he was almost hit with a counter right and against the ropes with Javier Mora, he exposed himself for a long period to land a lethal uppercut. Had either fighter been more accurate, those respective fights could have turned out differently.

But what has probably been more problematic for his opponents is his southpaw stance. A southpaw heavyweight is a rarity amongst rarities as evidenced by fighters like Michael Moorer, who became the very first lefty to win a heavyweight championship in 1991. Others, like Gerry Cooney and Chris Byrd, have met with success as well, but this writer is hard-pressed to think of another significant lefty heavyweight.

Watching the bout against Shannon Briggs, the Brooklynite looked awkward fighting Ibragimov. He looked like he was constantly turning Briggs the “wrong” way and punching him from the “wrong” side from my estimation of Briggs body language.

And let’s face it, Ibragimov may hold a belt but he has so far avoided fighting anyone elite or remotely close. Briggs certainly isn’t elite, although the fighter he took the belt from, Sergeui Lyakovich, probably is. Ray Austin is nowhere near elite and Zuri Lawrence gets knocked out by everyone he faces whoʼs smiled for a television camera.

An associate of mine put something in perspective for me. Even if a fighter is pitted constantly against virtual unknowns, you can recognize “beauty” as he calls it, meaning the grace of speed, power and overall ability in the ring, by how a fighter fights.

Joe Calzaghe has it; since being introduced to American audiences heʼs only been in one major fight, against Jeff Lacy, but you can tell from his speed, power, stamina and punches from all angles that there is something there that would be difficult for any opponent to surmount.

Ibragimov does have that “something there” as well, just in differing quantities to Joe Calzaghe but once he steps in with real competition, it will be glaringly obvious for us all to make out.

Perhaps a tune-up for Ibragimov against Calvin Brock to avenge his cousin Timurʼs first loss? Whether or not Brock is elite may be debatable, but he is definitely a step up in competition from what Ibragimov has seen in the past and has acquitted himself better against an actual elite fighter (and more legitimately belonged in the ring with Klitschko than Austin).

There are several chins that Ibragimov must test, including his own, and he will have to expose his heart for all to see before we can say for sure that his deal is real.

But he has certainly shown enough for us to ask the question.