A crucial moment is approaching for the career of Italian heavyweight Guido Vianello, who will face the gigantic Russian puncher Arslanbek Makhmudov this Saturday at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada.
In four days, we’ll find out if Vianello can deliver another leap in quality after the excellent progress he has shown recently. On paper, the challenge seems very tough due to the brutal power of the Russian boxer, who is indeed favored by the bookmakers. Despite the fact that a victory for our compatriot is paying out 3.5 times the stake, Guido could have a small psychological advantage.
Last December, Makhmudov was surprisingly dismantled by the aggressive German fighter Agit Kabayel, who defied the odds by knocking him out in just four rounds. This unexpected loss might have shaken the confidence of the heavyweight born in Mozdok. On the other hand, Vianello drew positive feelings from his recent narrow defeat at the hands of Nigerian Efe Ajagba: the Italian, whom many had written off before the fight, nearly fought on equal terms, to the point where the decision could easily have gone his way.
While Makhmudov can draw on a favorable precedent, having defeated Vianello as an amateur in the World Boxing Series, the style recently adopted by our compatriot—based on great movement, continuous in-and-out action, and quick combinations—could prove challenging for the Russian athlete, whose movements are rather robotic and predictable.