Philippines, 17 Mar 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


SHUMENOV FACES UNDEFEATED UZELKOV IN FIRST TITLE DEFENSE

PhilBoxing.com


HISTORY MAKING WBA LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION MAKES ESPN2 DEBUT ON JULY 23RD AT TACHI PALACE HOTEL & CASINO

Los Angeles, CA (June 24, 2010) ? When capturing the WBA Light Heavyweight Championship in just his 10th professional bout back in January, Beibut Shumenov (9-1, 6 KOs) entered the boxing record books for winning a major world title in the light heavyweight division with the fewest number of fights in his professional career, beating Jeff Harding?s record established in 1988 after winning the championship in his 15th professional bout.

On July 23rd, the Chimkent, Kazakhstan-born, Las Vegas, NV-based warrior, who recently signed with Goossen Tutor Promotions, will get his next chance at making history when he defends his WBA and IBA titles in only his 11th professional bout against mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Uzelkov (22-0, 14 KOs) of Vinitza, Ukraine, in the scheduled 12-round main event of the ESPN2 ?Friday Night Fights? (10pm ET/7pm PT).

Presented by Goossen Tutor in association with KZ Event Productions, the Shumenov-Uzelkov headlined boxing card will emanate from a specially constructed outdoor arena at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, CA.

The Kevin Barry-trained, self- managed Shumenov, 26, avenged his only loss as a pro ? by majority decision -- in winning the WBA Light Heavyweight Championship from Gabriel Campillo in another 12-round hotly-contested bout -- in just his 10th fight.

On May 8th in Carson, CA, Shumenov was introduced at a press conference announcing the signing with Goossen Tutor, which will allow him to be more focused for his own boxing career, starting with the defense against Uzelkov. As co-owner -- with brother Chingis -- of KZ Event Productions, Beibut Shumenov will continue to be heavily involved in signing and guiding the careers of boxers under the KZ umbrella.

The mental toll on a fighter who is actually fighting and promoting simultaneously can be, and usually is, horrific. Now with the burden of the day-in, day-out promotional responsibilities now resting on Goossen Tutor?s shoulders, Shumenov, for the first time in his career will truly be able to concentrate on the formable task immediately in front of him; WBA mandatory challenger Uzelkov.

?I?ve been able to concentrate 100-percent on training for the first time in my career with the alignment with Goossen Tutor,? Shumenov said. ?I?ve been training hard with Kevin just focusing on improving all aspects of my arsenal, and everyone will see that against Uzelkov. He is a good fighter who deserves his championship opportunity and I know it?s going to be a great fight. I can?t wait for July 23rd. It?s going to be a night of firsts for me ? first WBA title defense; first time fighting on ESPN; and first fight without having to worry about promoting.?

The undefeated, heavy-handed Uzelkov, 31, has been taken the distance just once in his last 10 bouts. In his most recent outing back in October, he stopped the Czech Republic?s Tomas Adamek in the fifth round to win the WBA Inter-Continental Championship in Kiev, Ukraine. Uzelkov owns a knockout win over Gabriel Campillo ? the only common opponent he has with Shumenov. Uzelkov is promoted by brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, who head up K2 Promotions Ukraine.

?It is necessary to knock him (Shumenov) out so there are no questions, and as a matter of fact, that is exactly what I plan to do,? Uzelkov said. Shumenov had the title for a little while and now it will transfer over to me.?

Promoter Dan Goossen said he couldn?t have picked a tougher fight for his new champion then Uzelkov. ?These are the type of challenges that definitely take you to the next level with a victory. It won?t be easy on July 23, but we believe Beibut is destined to do special things in boxing.?

A victory for Shumenov puts him into position to unify the light heavyweight belts against the other champions: Tavoris Cloud (IBF), Jean Pascal (WBC) and Juergen Braehmer (WBO). But the one real challenge Shumenov would like is against undefeated Chad Dawson.

First things first though as Shumenov can only think about taking care of the very dangerous and hungry challenger on July 23.

In addition to the main event bout, Rico Ramos (16-0, 9 KOs), the #3 WBO world rated Super Bantamweight will defend his WBO/NABO championship against Mexico?s hard-punching Cuauhtemoc Vargas (15-3-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round fight. With a win, Ramos will be one step closer to his goal of fighting for the world championship.

Tickets for this exciting event are priced at: $20, $50, $60 and $250 and can be purchased by calling the Tachi Palace box office at: 559-924-7751 or by visiting www.tickets.com.




Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Esneth Domingo Trains at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles Ahead of His US Debut
    , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • Tatay Digong Birthday Run on March 28
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • 12-0 prospect Marco Romero to headline This Friday in Independence, Missouri
    , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • 700 athletes on March 21-22 at UM
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • United States Earns Four Gold Medals on Final Day of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
    , Mon, 16 Mar 2026
  • Mexico wins 2 bronze medals at World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 16 Mar 2026
  • Arnold Barboza Jr. Shines in Welterweight Debut, Defeats Kenneth Sims Jr. to Claim Wbo Global Welterweight Title
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • WBC top contender Canoy returns to Davao with Unanimous Decision Victory
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • John Randall Peralta: The Future of the Philippine Chess
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Alvin “Felemon” Dologuin Claims Win in Brico Santig’s Show in Thailand (PHOTOS)
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Donaire's Yokohama Showdown: Can our Filipino Flash Outshine the Rising Sun? (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Wins Five of Eight Bouts on Day Six
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpasses Chamberlain's record of 127 consecutive NBA games with 20 points or more
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • World-Ranked Light Heavyweight Najee Lopez Stops Mexican Terminator Manuel Gallego in Eight Classic Rounds in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Weigh-in from Highland Boxing in Bangkok, Thailand; Dologuin in Action (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Oval rules 35th CityHeights slugfest
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Sims vs. Barboza and Dickens vs. Cacace Headline Doubleheader on DAZN
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Rubilen Amit sustains amazing run of victories at WPBA Pool in New York
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Weights Set in Anaheim: Barboza Jr. and Sims Jr. Ready for Welterweight War; Collazo Defends Titles
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Rising Young Star Yoenis Tellez Takes on Top Contender Brian Mendoza in New Co-Main Event of PBC Pay-per-View Event Available on Prime Video Saturday, March 28
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Five USA Boxers Qualify for Medal Rounds on Day Six of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Rubilen Amit off to hot start in her WPBA debut
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Pavel Sosulin stops Victor Nagbe to remain unbeaten at IBA Pro 15 in Saint Petersburg
    , Fri, 13 Mar 2026
  • Nicaraguan Boxing Commission hold Annual Awards to 2025 winners
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Fri, 13 Mar 2026
  • BARBOZA JR. VS. SIMS JR. FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Fri, 13 Mar 2026




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.