WBC Special Preview: Alen Babic vs. Lucasz Rozanski

Jose Sulaimán WBC HONORARY LIFETIME PRESIDENT (+)

Mauricio SulaimánWBC PRESIDENT

WBC STATS 

VACANT WBC BRIDGERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

G2 ARENA RZESZOW, POLAND

APRIL 22, 2023

TV: POLAND TVP SPORT / SKY SPORTS

THIS WILL BE THE WBC’S 2, 168 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE   FIGHT   IN   THE   FIFTY-NINE YEAR HISTORY OF THE WBC

KNOCKOUT PROMOTIONS & ANDRZEJ WASILEWSKI, PRESENT:

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE BRIDGERWEIGHT DIVISION

THIS WILL BE THE SECOND BRIDGERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE WBC

FIRST FIGHT:

OCTOBER 22, 2021 OSCAR RIVAS WUD 12 RYAN ROZICKY MONTREAL

WBC TITLE BOUTS HELD IN POLAND

5 BOUTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN POLAND IN THE ENTIRE WBC HISTORY

15/05/2010       KRZYSZTOF WLODARCZYK – GIACOBBE FRAGOMENI   TKO 8                 LODZ, POLAND                       CR

20/09/2010       KRYSZTOF WLODARCZYK – JASON ROBINSON                  UD 12                  WARSAW, POLAND               CR

02/04/2011       KRYSZTOF WLODARCZYK – FRANCISCO PALACIOS       SD 12                   BYDGOSZCZ, POLAND         CR

10/09/2011       VITALI KLITSCHKO – THOMASZ ADAMEK     TKO 10        WROCLAW, POLAND                                        HE

22/09/2012       KRZYSZTOF WLODARCZYK – FRANCISCO PALACIOS     UD 12                  WROCLAW, POLAND            CR

THIS WILL BE THE FIRST WBC BRIDGERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT CELEBRATED IN POLAND

BREAKDOWN BY DIVISION:

CRUISER                          4

HEAVY                             1

TOTAL BOUTS       5

Made it Ma! Top of the World

By James Blears

Alen Babic and Lucasz Rozanski contest the vacant World Boxing Council Bridgerweight Title in Rzeszow Arena in Poland on Sunday April 22^nd.

How fickle fortune can be, as fate can fluctuate, rise, soar and then… plummet!  It can be almost as ironically cruel as Cody Jarrett`s final blaze of glory riposte in the Film White Heat, as he exclaimed: “Made it Ma. Top of the World!”

At the WBC`s 2021 Convention in Mexico City`s Presidente Intercontinental Hotel, that`s exactly where Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas from Colombia, but based in Montreal Canada found himself. At the pinnacle of his powers, all adorned by the Green and Gold Bridgerweight Belt, and as proud as punch, the world appeared to be his oyster, or as Arthur Daley quipped: “His lobster!”

Oscar had clawed his way to the top, but then the shell cracked! Never a huge heavyweight Oscar stands barely half and inch over six feet. His best and most mobile weight isn’t much over two hundred pounds. The Bridgerweight division is for fighters who weigh over two hundred pounds, but nor more than two hundred and twenty four pounds.

Previously as a relatively small heavyweight, Oscar won the NABF heavyweight title in his twenty first fight. He went on to challenge Dillian Whyte for the WBC Interim heavyweight Green and Gold Belt. He knocked Dillian down in round nine with a peach of a right uppercut, but outweighed more than twenty pounds, he lost a UD. His only defeat in the pro ranks!

Oscar won the Inaugural WBC Bridgerweight title with a UD over Ryan Rozicki. Before his first defense scheduled against Lukasz Rozanski, in Colombia, Oscar was going to fight Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagha. But,  Oscar suffered an eye injury in his final sparring session. He`d previously undergone surgery in 2011 for a detached retina in his right eye. At thirty five years old and after a thirteen years pro career, he´s taking a pause.

So, Lukasz Rozanski from Poland, who was to be Oscar`s first challenger for the Bridgerweight title, will now fight Alen Babic from Croatia for the vacant title. Physically these two match up very well. Alen stands six feet one and a half inches tall and has a seventy four inches reach. Lukasz is six feet one inches tall and he also has a seventy four inches reach.

Alen aged thirty two who eked out a living as a nightclub bouncer for a decade before finding his vocation and hitting the big time in boxing, is five years younger than Lukasz.

However, Lukasz who`s always fought in his homeland of Poland as a pro, now has the opportunity of a lifetime, because he`s fighting this championship bout in his hometown of Rzeszow, where he was born.  Lukasz has built an undefeated record of 14-0, 13 KO`s, since turning pro in 2015. In his most recent fight he KO`d former heavyweight contender Artur Szpilka in the first round. Earlier in his career he stopped former British and EBU heavyweight Champion Michael Sprott in two.

Alen who`s nicknamed The Savage is also unbeaten with a record of 11-0, 10 KO`s. His pro debut was in 2019. His KO record was punctuated in his most recent fight against Adam Balski, in which he won a UD and with it, the vacant WBC Silver Bridgerweight title. Alen was down in the first, but Adam was deducted a point for hitting after the bell ending the eleventh.

All but two of Alen`s pro fights have been in Britain. He`s also sparred Tyson Fury, Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce.  Glad to have won the Silver title, he now says: “I want more. I want it all!”  Both men are big punchers. With this sort of goodnight power, anything can happen.

Alen most recently fought against Adam Balski on May 21^st last year. But we have to go all the way back to May 30^th 2021, when Lukasz swiftly dispatched compatriot Artur Szpilka. Can`t find a nickname for Lukasz anywhere? Pizzazz might fit? Whoever wins this fight, will need a flourish of that, plus flashes of lightning to back up the rolling thunder.