Alexey Zubov Takes Aim at The Cruiserweight Divison
There appears to be a resurgence in the cruiserweight division and the former Russian amateur standout Alexey Zubov will take another step closer to a world title shot on Saturday night as he returns to his native Russia to appear on the undercard of the Vyacheslav Glazkov heavyweight attraction.
Zubov (7-0, 5 KOs) is originally from the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia, which is also the birthplace of Sergey Kovalev. Zubov began his career in California where he hoped to make a name for himself in the United States similar to other Russian boxing stars.
After displaying his vicious knockout power, Zubov caught the eye of trainer Javan “Sugar” Hill form the famous Kronk Gym in Detroit and earned himself a slot as the sparring partner for then heavyweight contender Johnathon Banks.
While working out in the gym together, promoter Dmitriy Salita from Star of David Promotions took notice of not only Zubov’s power but also his ring IQ and signed him to a promotional contract.
“A lot of guys can bang and throw their weight around,” Salita said. “It’s not everyday you see someone of his size who actually wants to learn and be the smarter man in the ring. He outworks everyone.”
Salita brought Zubov to New York to appear on the popular Brooklyn Brawl series where Zubov blew away his opponent in the first round.
The decision was then made to bring Zubov home to Russia where the cruiserweight division is more popular then it is in the Unites States and Zubov can build a fan base.
Salita said the plan is to bring Zubov back to the Kronk Gym later in the year to train with Hill before heading back to Europe for more meaningful fights where the top names in the division such as Denis Lebedev, Grigory Drozd and Rakhim Chakhkiyev all reside.
Currently Zubov is ranked No. 8 in Russia among all cruiserweights according to BoxRec.
Photo courtesy of Star of David Promotions
