It was supposed to be the toughest fight of Osleys Iglesias’s career, but once again the Cuban super middleweight’s punches proved far too heavy for his opponent to withstand. Russia’s Vladimir Shishkin absorbed the bombs for eight rounds before the referee stepped in, his face battered and unable to mount anything more than a passive defense. With this technical knockout, Iglesias not only retained his IBO title but also secured the IBF mandatory challenger position for the Super Middleweight World Title.
Shishkin entered the bout with solid credentials. His only defeat, last October against Cuban William Scull, had come via a highly questionable decision that many considered a hometown verdict. Against Iglesias, however, the Russian was left completely weaponless.
The winner’s dominance—controlling the center of the ring throughout—was clear in the scorecards at the time of the stoppage. All three judges had it 70–63, meaning Shishkin didn’t win a single round.
Iglesias said he was very pleased with his performance and responded with notable swagger when asked whether this victory could open the door to a clash with Saul “Canelo” Álvarez:
“I think I made a statement. If he doesn’t want to fight with me, it’s not because I don’t give a good show. It’s because he’s scared. I’m a young boxer, I’m hungry, I have a good punch. If he doesn’t want to fight with me, it’s because he might be scared that I’m too young and too strong for him.”
The Cuban also added that he is 97% sure Canelo will beat Crawford on September 13.