Who Fights Whom, Where and When? The Boxing Rumor Mill
„Speculation is an attempt to predict the future, with the awareness that… nothing can be certain, while the starting point remains current knowledge” – wrote French economist Jean-Marie Harribey, a lecturer at Montesquieu University – Bordeaux.
In sport, just as in the economy, speculation is an everyday occurrence. Officials and PR specialists use it to build suspense and generate momentum. Fans also enjoy making predictions, debating and looking for hidden meanings. And since every rumor may contain a grain of truth, let us see what was being whispered in boxing circles in autumn 2013.
The previous day, information had emerged about a possible fight between European heavyweight champion Derek Chisora (18-4, 12 KO) and Mariusz Wach (27-1, 15 KO). The bout was supposed to take place on November 30 in London, provided the Pole accepted the offer from the British side. The speculation was quickly quashed by the promoter of “The Viking,” Mariusz Kołodziej. He pointed out that the EBU would not allow a fighter who had lost his most recent bout to challenge for the European title.
In theory, Wach could still have had a fight against an undemanding opponent beforehand. Such an appearance was scheduled for October 26 at a show in Dzierżoniów. Grzegorz Proksa had used a similar maneuver a year earlier before his rematch with Kerry Hope. Another London-related rumor also emerged around Wach. For several dozen hours, reports circulated about his possible participation in the next edition of the Prizefighter tournament, scheduled for November 16.
At the time, Poland’s only professional world champion, Krzysztof Włodarczyk (48-2-1, 34 KO), was due to defend his WBC belt for the third time on December 6 in Chicago. His opponent was Italian Giacobbe Fragomeni (31-3-2, 12 KO). At the same time, talk began about “Diablo’s” next opponent. In May 2014, it was expected to be the new European champion, Grigorij Drozd (37-1, 26 KO), who had recently taken the title from Mariusz Masternak in Moscow.
A clash between Włodarczyk and the Russian would have made sense for several reasons. Above all, it could have generated very good money, especially if it took place in Moscow. A victory would also have allowed Krzysztof to finally put an end to the discussion about a possible fight with Masternak. Such a bout would simultaneously scupper the idea of “Diablo” making his heavyweight debut in February, namely a showdown with Albert Sosnowski (47-6-2, 28 KO).
An opponent was also being sought for the unbeaten Krzysztof Głowacki (20-0, 13 KO). The names in the running included Garrett Wilson (13-6-1, 7 KO) and Francisco Palacios (21-2, 13 KO). The Pole was expected to face the former in December and the latter in spring 2014.
Wilson did not seem a particularly attractive choice. He had a lower ranking, little media recognition and was practically unknown on the Polish market. On top of that, he stood just 175 cm tall. Most fighters at the top of the cruiserweight division were a head taller than him. The exception was African prospect Thabiso Mchunu. Palacios was a completely different story. Respected in Poland and capable of putting on a good show, he would have been a far more interesting opponent for Głowacki.
Finally, it is worth mentioning another unbeaten Pole, Damian Jonak (36-0-1). For years, he had been waiting for a bout with a top-level opponent. Before he was supposed to receive a chance to fight for the WBC middleweight title against famous Argentine Sergio Gabriel Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KO) in late March or early April 2014, he first had to defeat Rafael Bejaran (16-2, 8 KO) of the Dominican Republic on November 23 in Jastrzębie-Zdrój.
