Russian gala marked by victories. “Diablo’s” promoter wants a rematch

The Russians are celebrating a major victory after the Moscow gala. “Diablo’s” promoter has announced efforts to secure a rematch.

Denis Lebedev (WBA world champion): To be honest, I was surprised that the fight ended so quickly. Trainer Freddie Roach prepared a plan that called for attacks to the body in the first two rounds, followed by punches upstairs. I was supposed to box calmly, not rush into the attack and see what I could get away with. I decided a little too quickly to launch an attack aimed at the head, and suddenly it was all over. I want a rematch with Marco Huck, the WBO champion. I think everyone knows why he matters so much to me. I respect Huck because he never avoids opponents. I hope I get the chance to avenge my defeat.

Freddie Roach (Denis Lebedev’s trainer): Denis performed very well in the ring. I liked his performance. He worked hard in training and did his job. We work together, but this victory is primarily his achievement. He was the one who scored an impressive win. Kołodziej fell like a demolished skyscraper.

Sergey Vasiliev (Grigorij Drozd’s trainer): In the eighth round, after the knockdown, I shouted that Włodarczyk was bluffing. Grigorij listened to me, which is why he did not immediately launch a decisive attack. In the first round, we wanted to find out what Włodarczyk was capable of. We had to assess him, and the plan worked. If there is a rematch… Will it be more difficult? No fight is easy. Włodarczyk will certainly prepare something new. We will not run out of ideas either. This time, we carried out the plan one hundred percent.

Rakhim Chakhiev (2008 Olympic champion and Włodarczyk’s opponent in 2013): Grigorij did not make the same mistakes I did. He fought brilliantly. If I got a rematch with Włodarczyk, I would box in a similar way. In our fight, I threw too many punches and wasted a great deal of energy. Grigorij approached the fight very intelligently. He had good tactics, kept Włodarczyk at a distance, conserved his energy and used his legs well.

Piotr Werner (co-promoter of Włodarczyk and Kołodziej): The contract for the Włodarczyk–Drozd fight contains a rematch clause. The Russian team has six months to make a decision, and within the following three months it should be determined where and when the second fight will take place. In theory, the entire procedure should be completed within nine months. However, this is boxing, so injuries may arise. It is also unknown whether the federation will approve the rematch. In December, Andrzej Wasilewski and I will fly to the WBC convention. We will push for the second fight to be approved. Drozd won and is the world champion, so he deserves full respect. However, he is not a fighter Krzysiek should fear when he is in normal condition and boxing well.

Przemysław Osiak, przegladsportowy.pl