Lebedev, Yafai headline 11/24 Monte Carlo card

This will be Lebedev’s third fight since 2016

Eddie Hearn and co. are headed to Monte Carlo next month for a card that features two(?) title fights and a pair of undefeated Chinese Olympians.

I added the question mark up there because Lebedev (31-2, 23 KO) is supposedly the WBA “Champion in Recess”, while Oleksandr Usyk and Beibut Shumenov hold the Super and regular belts, respectively. Arsen Goulamirian theoretically has the hilariously unnecessary interim title, but BoxRec lists his fight with Mark Flanagan this weekend as being for the regular title, so who the hell knows anymore.

In any event, he should have no issues with Wilson (19-0, 8 KO), a 35-year-old former decent amateur with zero quality victories as a professional.

Kal Yafai (24-0, 15 KO) is fighting Jerwin Ancajas’ leftovers instead of the man himself, despite all signs previously pointing to a unification between the two champs. Gonzalez (23-2, 10 KO) lost every single round to Ancajas before falling in the 10th and has since beaten two men with losing records.

Fanlong (13-0, 8 KO) lost to Yamaguchi Falcao in the second round of the 2012 Olympics by the thinnest of margins. Buglioni (22-3-1, 16 KO), as entertaining as he is flawed, should give us a decent idea of where Fanlong is in his development as a pro.

Zhang (20-0, 16 KO), a 2008 silver medalist with a loss to Anthony Joshua on his amateur record, is facing his toughest test to date in veteran Ustinov (34-2, 25 KO), which is a very disheartening statement. Ustinov is 41 years old and has little going for him besides being 280 pounds, and at 35 himself, Zhang should really be fighting capable opponents sooner rather than later.