Narzi Rahimo wins WBC Youth Silver belt

In a wave of almost summer heat, Saturday night March 30, 2024, in Stereo Plaza convention hall turned into one of the most thrilling fight nights in recent Ukrainian boxing history! 

This 12-fight card in the Eastern part of Kyiv was the biggest fight night staged by Vlad Eliseev’s (reads Vlad Yeliseyev) Top Boxing Generation (TBG) promotional vehicle over the past several years, 2+ of them during the war. 

Talented Nazri Rahimov, 23, (14-2) coached by Arsen Babayan in the Kiev suburb of Brovary is special. Last August this young prospect won the UBO Super Lightweight World belt, having stopped rugged and motivated Irving Berry from Panama. In January Rahimov won UD in a bitter 8-rounder against internationally very experienced Ghennady Gitlan from Moldova. He pledged at the weigh-in on Friday, March 29, that the fight with Jorge Moya would not last 10 rounds.

In the main event, he faced young brave Columbian Jorge Moya (15-4-1) who in his 21 already was no stranger to fighting the best in Europe, and also just came from a recent stoppage victory in February at home in Colombia. 

While the 1^st round is usually mainly tentative action, Rahimov stepped in the ring in a southpaw stance, seized the initiative, changed angles, and mounted pressure, while Moya showed good timing catching his opponent with crisp rights. Also, Rahimov landed a crisp body shot, but the young Latino did his best to hide the damage he suffered, while Rahimov never paid attention or hurried to finish his opponent at this stage. 

In round 2 Moya unexpectedly smacked Rahimov with a huge, very loud overhand left which made all Stereo Plaza gasp. Rahimov was shocked, but only for a swift moment! This in a way turned out to be a waking-up ring for Rahimov, who in the next episode also caught his opponent’s temple with a left hook, which sent the Colombian warrior to the canvas. 

The stubborn Colombian beat the count and returned to the fight. Rahimov, who is very used to changing stances, now continued his southpaw agenda, set up, and landed a big left, which yet again sent his opponent to the ground. It was becoming obvious that long-handed Rahimov’s school was too much for the young Colombian. Rahimov’s feints and tricks drained Moya. At 2’30” of round 2, Rahimov returned to his native orthodox stance and landed a crisp right to the head of the Colombian, which sent the brave Latin fighter to the ground. Judge Viktor Fesechko counted 8, and asked whether Colombian, who managed to stand up again, was ready to continue?.. However, Jorge could hardly appreciate where and why he was at the moment, so the referee had to stop the action. 

A huge celebration followed as Rahimov dreamed of winning one of four major governing bodies’ belts, and as a very young fighter had and used this chance. 

However, it should be noted, that this whole boxing fight card was full of thrilling bouts. 

In the 11^th undercard match Kostya Korenev,  promising an undefeated tall middleweight prospect from Sumy squared it off with undefeated former bare knuckles fighting hero from Odessa, via Bahmut, Artur Kamaiev. After initial exchanges, Korenev started mounting pressure on Odessa-based southpaw, quite in Kostya Tszyu style, paying little respect to Kamaiev’s punching power. In rounds 2 and 3 he several times sent Kamaiev to the ground, eventually forcing the judge to stop the fight in round 4. 

In another undercard 8-rounder Kostya Korenev’s brother, a hard-hitting southpaw middleweight from Sumy Denis Korenev faced 42 years old boxing coach from Nikopol, also rugged southpaw Andriy Sipchenko. This fight made many faithful fans of Denis Korenev, so aggressive and successful in many episodes of the first half of the battle was Sipchenko. However, from round to round, the slick and hard-punching prospect from Sumy managed to adjust to the very unorthodox style of the Nikopol fighter.

Cheered by their multiple fans both warriors did their best aiming to win every episode. Closer to the end of the fight it was becoming increasingly obvious, that Korenev along with his corner team, where the WBA world champion Vyacheslav Senchenko worked with Denis and Kostya’s father, kickboxing world champion Mykola Korenev, did everything necessary to convincingly win second half of the fight. As soon as this battle was over, all of a sudden air strike siren forced all spectators and athletes to leave the Stereo Plaza and head to the nearby shelter in Demiyevska metro station. 

Only when the air strike was over did ALL spectators return to the Stereo Plaza to watch the remaining part of the fight night (no refunds would be available should the interrupted fight be for some reason canceled). As the crowd returned to the ring, the draw was announced to the vast disappointment of only one person in the Stereo Plaza: Denis Korenev’s perfect record was somewhat blemished. However, many of his fans were glad to watch this brilliant contest against an amazing and brave veteran from Nikopol!!