Shumenov a wanted man; Zaurbek linked to former world champion
Over the past few days we’ve seen some interesting stories reported in the Kazakh boxing press, that are worth bringing to a new, more Western orientated, audience.
One of those is rather disappointing news, as it was reported that police in Kazakhstan were still looking for former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight champion Beibut Shumenov (18-2, 12) [Бейбут Шуменов], with their now being an international arrest warrant out for Shumenov. The former world champion was put on the wanted list after an incident last summer, when he struck a man holding a child, in one of the shopping and entertainment centers in the Kazakh capitals of Astana. Yerzhan Sadenov, the Minister of Internal Affairs in Kazakhstan, is quoted as saying that they are "carrying out all operational search activities to bring him back. We will try to bring him back in the near future,”, with Shumenov charged under hooliganism. Notably the police officers involved in the case have since been punished for their involvement with the case, with one being reprimanded and another being relieved of their post.
In happier news it seems that unbeaten Kazakh hopeful Sultan Zaurbek (17-0, 12) [Заурбек Султан] could be set for a major step up in class, with Vesti.kz reporting that Zaurbek has been linked to a Summer fight, in the UK, with former 2- time WBA Featherweight champion Leigh Wood (28-3, 17). The talented yet frustrating, Zaurbek has promised a lot since his 2018 debut, but his career has never really caught fire, and in many ways it's looked like Zaurbek has been bored in the ring, perhaps due to never facing anyone capable of pushing him. If he faces Wood we'd see Zaurbek in with a dangerous 35 year old who can box, or bang, and has a real determination to win, as seen in his 2022 win over Michael Conlan and his 2023 win over Josh Warrington. It should be noted this isn’t a done deal, but it does seem to suggest that Zaurbek’s team are looking, at last, about a serious step up in class.
One of those is rather disappointing news, as it was reported that police in Kazakhstan were still looking for former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight champion Beibut Shumenov (18-2, 12) [Бейбут Шуменов], with their now being an international arrest warrant out for Shumenov. The former world champion was put on the wanted list after an incident last summer, when he struck a man holding a child, in one of the shopping and entertainment centers in the Kazakh capitals of Astana. Yerzhan Sadenov, the Minister of Internal Affairs in Kazakhstan, is quoted as saying that they are "carrying out all operational search activities to bring him back. We will try to bring him back in the near future,”, with Shumenov charged under hooliganism. Notably the police officers involved in the case have since been punished for their involvement with the case, with one being reprimanded and another being relieved of their post.
In happier news it seems that unbeaten Kazakh hopeful Sultan Zaurbek (17-0, 12) [Заурбек Султан] could be set for a major step up in class, with Vesti.kz reporting that Zaurbek has been linked to a Summer fight, in the UK, with former 2- time WBA Featherweight champion Leigh Wood (28-3, 17). The talented yet frustrating, Zaurbek has promised a lot since his 2018 debut, but his career has never really caught fire, and in many ways it's looked like Zaurbek has been bored in the ring, perhaps due to never facing anyone capable of pushing him. If he faces Wood we'd see Zaurbek in with a dangerous 35 year old who can box, or bang, and has a real determination to win, as seen in his 2022 win over Michael Conlan and his 2023 win over Josh Warrington. It should be noted this isn’t a done deal, but it does seem to suggest that Zaurbek’s team are looking, at last, about a serious step up in class.