Denis Lebedev-Murat Gassiev: Pre-Fight Report Card

by Cliff Rold

The Russian professional boxing market is one that is still growing, with lots of potential upside. As seen for the multi-million dollar purse bids for Wladimir Klitschko-Alexander Povetkin and the aborted Povetkin-Deontay Wilder fight, it is an upside with real financial backing.

Nothing helps to further a market like a thriller. Unified cruiserweight titlist Denis Lebedev has been just that for his home court. He’s fought nine straight in Russia, winning eight and scoring six knockouts. The lone loss came in one of the most brutal fights of the decade to a Guillermo Jones found to be using PEDs. Among the wins are two WBA title victories and a unification shelling of IBF titlist Victor Ramirez earlier this year.

This time, Lebedev, trained by Freddie Roach, won’t be defending his home court. He’ll be sharing it in one of boxing’s most classic narratives. Old lion, meet young lion. Russian challenger Murat Gassiev turned heads in the US in May with a highlight reel first round knockout. Trained by Abel Sanchez, Gassiev will have the chance to turn the heads of the world in his toughest fight to date.

No matter how long this lasts, two brick fisted big men are going to be swapping leather. Is there a better recipe in boxing.

Let’s go the report card.

The Ledgers

Denis Lebedev

Age: 37

Title: WBA cruiserweight (2014-Present, 4 Defenses; 2011-13, 2 Defenses); IBF cruiserweight (2016-Present, 1st Attempted Defense)

Previous Titles: None

Height: 5’11

Weight: 199 ¾ lbs.

Hails from: Chekhov, Russia

Record: 29-2, 22 KO, 1 KOBY

Record in Major Title Fights: 5-2, 4 KO, 1 KOBY (7-2, 5 KO, 1 KOBY including interim title fights)

Rankings: #1 (BoxingScene, TBRB, Ring, ESPN, Boxing Monthly), #4 (BoxRec)

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 6 (Enzo Maccarinelli TKO3; Marco Huck L12; Roy Jones KO10; James Toney UD12; Guillermo Jones KOBY11; Victor Ramirez TKO2)

Vs.

Murat Gassiev

?Age: 23

Title/Previous Titles: None

Height: 6’3 ½

Weight: 198 ½ lbs.

Hails from: Vladikavkaz, Russia

Record: 23-0, 17 KO

Rankings: #10 (BoxingScene, Ring, Boxing Monthly)

Record in Major Title Fights: First Title Attempt

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 0

Grades

Pre-Fight: Speed – Lebedev B-; Gassiev B

Pre-Fight: Power – Lebedev B+; Gassiev A

Pre-Fight: Defense – Lebedev B-; Gassiev B- 

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Lebedev A; Gassiev B

Gassiev brings some significant advantages into his first title fight. He’s taller, he’s much younger and fresher, faster, and it appears he hits harder. Let’s just go with appears for now. Many a perceived puncher has been developed against the sort of usual suspects Gassiev has seen to date.

It certainly looks like the real deal. When Gassiev lands his best stuff, opponents react like a truck has hit them. How will Lebedev react?

Lebedev has rarely been down in his career and takes a good shot. He showed, fighting with a grotesque swelling against Jones, how tough he can be. He could easily, at 37, be undefeated. The drug tests in that fight arguably should have made it a No Contest; they have on other occasions. His only other loss was one that sparked significant debate on the road against Huck. He lost a split decision in Germany many felt he deserved.

Lebedev does a lot of things very well in the ring. His head movement can be neglected but he uses his feet and works well off his southpaw jab. He’s quicker in the earlier rounds though never what one would call fast. Lebedev makes up for it with good timing and accuracy. He places punches well and has heavy hands.

Gassiev has shown some defensive attributes. His head movement isn’t bad and he keeps a high guard. Against southpaws in the past, he’s been touched with lead right hands but the shorter Lebedev will have to reach into his power zone to land them. It’s likely Gassiev will play the aggressor to a countering Lebedev here.

He’ll be fine with that. It’s the way he fights. Gassiev comes forward. Sometimes he can be a bit of a headhunter but he’s shown a hard left hook to the body. Most dangerous for the aging titlist, Gassiev has significant pop in both hands. His left hook is lethal. His right hand is straight and true.

The experience advantage is all Lebedev’s. We don’t know what Gassiev can do at the upper level of the division yet. We haven’t seen it. We’ll find out shortly.

The Pick

This feels like one of those fights where one guy is set to arrive. In the natural order of things, young fighters remove older fighters from the equation. Lebedev is as tough as they come but Gassiev has almost every physical advantage. If Lebedev comes to him, he’s going to land. If Lebedev tries to box and keep it at range, his legs are going to feel it as the younger man keeps stalking him. We haven’t seen Gassiev eat the sort of shot Lebedev might be able to land but if he can take it, the return fire is simply heavier. There’s a movement of hot new talent in the division led by Oleksandr Usyk. After Saturday, the chatter about a showdown between he and Gassiev will build. The pick is Gassiev inside eight rounds.  

Report Card and Staff Picks 2016: 39-13

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel, the Yahoo Pound for Pound voting panel, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com