{"id":105154,"date":"2023-10-31T12:50:22","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T18:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wbcboxing.com\/?p=105154"},"modified":"2023-10-31T12:50:22","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T18:50:22","slug":"wbc-special-preview-mikaelyan-vs-makabu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wbcboxing.com\/en\/wbc-special-preview-mikaelyan-vs-makabu\/","title":{"rendered":"WBC Special Preview: Mikaelyan vs. Makabu"},"content":{"rendered":"

WBC Special Preview: Mikaelyan vs. Makabu<\/strong><\/h2>\n

WBC STATISTICS<\/strong><\/h3>\n

WBC Vacant Cruiserweight World Championship<\/span><\/p>\n

November 4, 2023 \/ Miami, Florida \/ Casino Miami Jai Alai<\/span><\/p>\n

Fite TV<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NOEL \u201cDark Horse\u201d MIKAELYAN<\/strong>\u00a0(Armenia\/Germany)<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranked WBC No. 1 \/ mandatory challenger at Cruiserweight<\/span><\/p>\n

Former WBC Silver Cruiserweight Champion<\/span><\/p>\n

Former WBC International Cruiserweight Champion<\/span><\/p>\n

Age: 33 \/ Date of birth: September 18, 1990<\/span><\/p>\n

Residence: Miami, Florida \/ Birthplace: Yerevan, Armenia<\/span><\/p>\n

Record: 32-2, 11 KOs \/ Total rounds: 194<\/span><\/p>\n

Height: 6\u20193\u201d \u2013 190cm \/ Reach: 75\u201d \u2013 191cm \/ Stance: Right-handed<\/span><\/p>\n

Manager: Abael Mikaelyan<\/p>\n

Promoter: Sauerland Event<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ILUNGA \u201cJunior\u201d MAKABU<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0(Congo)<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranked WBC No. 2 at Cruiserweight<\/span><\/p>\n

Former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion<\/span><\/p>\n

Age: 35 \/ Date of birth: November 8, 1987<\/span><\/p>\n

Residence: Johannesburg, South Africa \/ Birthplace: Kananga, Democratic Republic of The Congo<\/span><\/p>\n

Record: 29-3, 25 KOs \/ Total rounds: 165 \/ World championship fights: 3-2, 1 KO<\/span><\/p>\n

Height: 6\u20190\u201d \u2013 183cm \/ Reach: 74\u201d \u2013 188cm \/ Stance: Left-handed<\/span><\/p>\n

Manager: Tarik Saadi<\/p>\n

Promoter: Don King Productions<\/p>\n

\u00a0Don King Presents<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

WBC CRUISERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Marvin Camel (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01980<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01980 \u2013 1982<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. S.T. Gordon (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01982 \u2013 1983<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01983 \u2013 1985<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Alfonzo Ratliff (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1985<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Bernard Benton (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01985 \u2013 1986<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01986 \u2013 1988<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Evander Holyfield (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01988<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01989 \u2013 1990<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Massimiliano Duran (Italy)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01990 \u2013 1991<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. Anaclet Wamba (France)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01991 \u2013 1995<\/span><\/li>\n
  12. Marcelo Dominguez (Arg)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01995 \u2013 1998<\/span><\/li>\n
  13. Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba)\u00a0\u00a01998 \u2013 2002<\/span><\/li>\n
  14. Wayne Braithwaite (Guyana)\u00a0\u00a02002 \u2013 2005<\/span><\/li>\n
  15. Jean-Marc Mormeck (France) 2007<\/span><\/li>\n
  16. O\u2019Neil Bell (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2006 \u2013 2007<\/span><\/li>\n
  17. Jean Marc Mormeck (France)* 2007<\/span><\/li>\n
  18. David Haye (UK)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2007 \u2013 2008<\/span><\/li>\n
  19. Giacobbe Fragomeni (Italy)\u00a0\u00a02008 \u2013 2009<\/span><\/li>\n
  20. Zsolt Erdei (Hungary)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2008 \u2013 2010<\/span><\/li>\n
  21. Krzystof Wlodarczyk (Poland) 2010 \u2013 2014<\/span><\/li>\n
  22. Grigory Drozd (Russia)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2014 \u2013 2015<\/span><\/li>\n
  23. Tony Bellew (UK)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2016 \u2013 2017<\/span><\/li>\n
  24. Mairis Briedis (Latvia)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2017 \u2013 2018<\/span><\/li>\n
  25. Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02018 \u2013 2019<\/span><\/li>\n
  26. Ilunga Makubu (Congo)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2020 \u2013<\/span><\/li>\n
  27. Badou Jack (Gambia-Sweden)\u00a02023<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    * Regained<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    WBC TOP 10 CRUISERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Evander Holyfield (US)<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba-Germany)<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. David Haye (GB)<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Tony Bellew (GB)<\/span><\/li>\n
    6. Mairis Briedis (Latvia)<\/span><\/li>\n
    7. Zsolt Erdei (Hungary)<\/span><\/li>\n
    8. Krzystof Wlodarczyk (Poland)<\/span><\/li>\n
    9. Jean-Marc Mormeck (France)<\/span><\/li>\n
    10. Anaclet Wamba (France)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY<\/h3>\n

      76 cruiserweight world championship bouts have been held in the history of the WBC.<\/span><\/p>\n

      23 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, of whom only two have regained the title: Carlos de Leon (Puerto Rico) three times, Jean Marc Mormeck (France) one time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      MEMORABLE WBC CRUISERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS<\/h3>\n

      Feb. 26, 2023\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Badou Jack TKO12 Ilunga Makabu \u2013 Diriyah, Saudi Arabia<\/span><\/p>\n

      Jan. 29, 2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ilunga Makubu W12 Thabiso Mchunu \u2013 Warren, Ohio<\/span><\/p>\n

      Dec. 19, 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ilunga Makabu TKO7 Olanrewaju Durodola \u2013 Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of The Congo<\/span><\/p>\n

      Jan. 31, 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ilunga Makubu W12 Michal Cieslak \u2013 Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of The Congo<\/span><\/p>\n

      Nov. 10, 2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Oleksandr Usyk TKO8 Tony Bellew \u2013 Manchester, England<\/span><\/p>\n

      July 21, 2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Oleksandr Usyk W12 Murat Gassiev \u2013 Moscow, Russia<\/span><\/p>\n

      Jan. 27, 2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Oleksandr Usyk W12 Mairis Briedis \u2013 Riga, Latvia<\/span><\/p>\n

      Apr. 1, 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mairis Briedis W12 Marco Huck \u2013 Westfalenhalle, Germany<\/span><\/p>\n

      May 29, 2016\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Tony Bellew TKO3 Ilunga Makabu \u2013 Liverpool, England<\/span><\/p>\n

      Sep. 27, 2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Grigory Drozd W12 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk \u2013 Moscow, Russia<\/span><\/p>\n

      May 15, 2010\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Krzysztof Wlodarczyk TKO8 Giacobbe Fragomeni \u2013 Lodz, Poland<\/span><\/p>\n

      Oct. 24, 2008\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Giacobbe Fragomeni TW8 Rudolf Kraj \u2013 Milan, Italy<\/span><\/p>\n

      Mar. 8, 2008\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0David Haye TKO2 Enzo Maccarinelli \u2013 London, England<\/span><\/p>\n

      Jan. 7, 2006\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0O\u2019Neil Bell KO10 Jean Marc Mormeck \u2013 New York, New York<\/span><\/p>\n

      Apr. 2, 2005\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jean Marc Mormeck W12 Wayne Braithwaite \u2013 Worcester, Massachusetts<\/span><\/p>\n

      Oct. 11, 2002\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Wayne Braithwaite TKO10 Vincenzo Cantatore \u2013 Lombardia, Italy<\/span><\/p>\n

      Feb. 21, 1998\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Juan Carlos Gomez W12 Marcelo Fabian Dominguez \u2013 Buenos Aires, Argentina<\/span><\/p>\n

      July 25, 1995\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Marcelo Fabian Dominguez TKO9 Akim Tafir \u2013 Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es-Atlantiques, France<\/span><\/p>\n

      July 20, 1991\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Anaclet Wamba TKO11 Massimiliano Duran \u2013 Palermo, Sicily<\/span><\/p>\n

      July 27, 1990\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Massimiliano Duran WDQ11 Carlos DeLeon \u2013 Capo d’Orlando, Sicily<\/span><\/p>\n

      May 17, 1989\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Carlos DeLeon TKO9 Sammy Reeson \u2013 London, England<\/span><\/p>\n

      Apr. 9, 1988\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Evander Holyfield TKO8 Carlos DeLeon \u2013 Las Vegas, Nevada<\/span><\/p>\n

      Feb. 24, 1982\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Carlos DeLeon TKO8 Marvin Camel \u2013 Atlantic City, New Jersey<\/span><\/p>\n

      Mar. 31, 1980\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Marvin Camel W15 Mate Parlov \u2013 Las Vegas, Nevada<\/span><\/p>\n

      Dec. 8, 1979\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Marvin Camel D15 Mate Parlov \u2013 Split, Croatia<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      Noel\u00a0 or Junior\u2026which cruiser is superior ?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      By James Blears<\/p>\n

      Former WBC cruiserweight champion Junior Ilunga Makabu must be familiar with the concept of: \u201cTo have and have not,\u201d made famous by the Ernest Hemmingway novel, which was turned into the Howard Hawks film.<\/p>\n

      The southpaw from the Congo had it all, lost it and now it`s all or nothing to try and regain it!\u00a0 On Saturday November 4th<\/sup> opportunity knocks, as he fights mandatory challenger Noel Gervor Mikaelian from Germany via Armenia and now based in Florida. The fight for the vacant title will be at Casino Miami, Jai-Alai Miami, Florida.<\/p>\n

      The event is being promoted by flamboyant Don King, who is still going strong and clarion voiced aged ninety two.\u00a0 Bold as brass and showman that he is and will forever be, \u00a0Mr King insists : \u201cIt`s a festive boxing season to outshine any before. \u00a0A November and December to remember!\u201d\u00a0 Such unquenchable vintage enthusiasm has its port of call and should be bottled. \u00a0Cruise control until someone gets decked?<\/p>\n

      It`s been a rocky road for Ilunga, who`s encountered pebbles in his shoe along the way. In 2016 he calmly and audaciously flew to the Liver Bird`s eyree \u00a0to take on Liverpool`s Tony Bellew at Goodison Park, the home ground of Everton soccer club, for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title. \u00a0An emotional unique night for Tony who`s a lifelong Toffees fan.\u00a0 But Ilunga almost ruined the fairytale. \u00a0At the end of round \u00a0one his peach of a left hook counter, upended Tony and its momentum caused the plucky Scouser to execute an almost perfect backward somersault. \u00a0Tony got up still stunned and hurt and the sweet music of the bell sounded.<\/p>\n

      Tony had courted disaster, teetering upon the verge of \u00a0it. But on that special night crackling with pent up and then released gushing emotion, Tony wasn`t to be denied. He knocked Ilunga unconscious in a fabled third round and at last on his third attempt became champion of the world. Ilunga`s previous defeat had been a first round TKO stoppage in his 2008 debut, against Khayeni\u00a0 Hlungwane.<\/p>\n

      This second one proved a significant setback for heavy handed Ilunga who`d already fared far worse having\u00a0 overcome a childhood scared by poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo.\u00a0 Remembering his lean, stringy, modest roots, which spurred him on as a hungry fighter, he donates money to help feed and educate children.<\/p>\n

      Weathering another stage of adversity, Ilunga \u00a0fought his way back and travelled all the way to Russia to win the vacant WBC Silver Belt by stopping Dmitry Kudryashov in round five.\u00a0 He was once again on track and on his way climbing the ladder after a wrong rung!<\/p>\n

      Then, on home turf of Kinshasa, he took on previously undefeated Michal Cieslak for the Absolute title and triumphed in a slugfest.\u00a0\u00a0 Serious trouble in the third, yet Ilunga ralled a round later to knock his opponent down. But Cieslak returned the compliment in a torrid fifth. \u00a0Ilunga who soaked up considerable \u00a0pressure kept fighting\u00a0 back to win a UD,\u00a0 and with it, he achieved his dream of becoming champion of the world.<\/p>\n

      At the World Boxing Council`s 2021 Convention in The Intercontinental \u00a0Hotel in Mexico City, Ilunga came within an ace of hitting the jackpot.\u00a0 Eddy Reynoso requested that Saul Canelo Alvarez fight\u00a0 him for the cruiserweight title.\u00a0 This was a two way Green and Golden opportunity.\u00a0 Had it taken place and Saul had won, it would have been a history maker, with a belt in a fifth weight category.\u00a0 Victory or defeat, would have provided Ilunga with golden goose financial nest egg \u00a0security for life. But alas\u2026it was not to be.<\/p>\n

      Ilunga made two successful defenses of his crown. He stopped African champion Olanrewaju Durodola in the seventh with two clubbing left hooks.\u00a0 Not such a plain sailing cruise against durable and resourceful \u00a0Thabiso Mchunu, who presented a sterner test, which Ilunga came through via a MD.<\/p>\n

      Then it all unraveled against Badou Jack, who dropped him with a heavy right in the fourth, repeated the dose in the eleventh and then piled on the pressure to stop Ilunga with a TKO in the final round. Badou has vacated the title to pursue Bridgerweight laurels. So Ilunga has one more opportunity and it`s against Noel.<\/p>\n

      How much has this most recent defeat taken out of Ilunga.\u00a0 During it he shipped a lot of sustained punishment.\u00a0 Aged thirty five, he`s\u00a0 only two years older than Noel, but his career has been \u00a0considerably more grueling. Though, best to remember that Ilunga demonstrates admirable depth and traits of character under fire. When the pressure is on, he digs deep drawing balm from a reservoir of resolve and calm. Of his twenty nine pro career wins, twenty five have been KO`s.\u00a0 He possesses and he retains the power!<\/p>\n

      The flip side of the coin is if Noel can cope with that stunning punching, avoid it impose his own smarts and win the world title. His record is 26-2, 11 KO`S.\u00a0 Thus far, he`s never been stopped.<\/p>\n

      In 2017, he lost a SD TO Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. Two fights later he lost a UD to Mairis Briedis for the WBC Diamond Belt.\u00a0 He bounced back winning\u00a0 the WBC International Belt with a fourth round TKO of Jesse Bayan and in his most recent fight, he won the WBC`s Silver Belt with a UD over Youri Kayembre Kalenga.\u00a0 He`s earned his opportunity!<\/p>\n

      At last year`s WBC Convention in Acapulco, Noel already had his sights set on Ilunga and said he was looking forward to the fight of a lifetime.\u00a0 It looked set to happen at the beginning of this year, didn`t but now is right back on track.<\/p>\n

      Ilunga is likely to be seeking a slugfest at short range where he can body punch and use his vaunted left hook upstairs. Noel will use his height and reach advantages to punish the man from the Congo, who isn`t a difficult target to find, while trying to avoid the impact of a bolt from the blue.\u00a0 So often just one well placed punch can derail the best laid plans.<\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n

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      <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      WBC Special Preview: Mikaelyan vs. Makabu WBC STATISTICS WBC Vacant Cruiserweight World Championship November 4, 2023 \/ Miami, Florida \/ Casino Miami Jai Alai Fite TV [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n

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