WBC Special Preview: Alen Babic vs. Lucasz Rozanski
Babic-Rozanski wil be the second WBC World Bridgerweight title fight in history
By James Blears
Croatian combatant Alen Babic (11-0, 10KO) and Polish puncher Lucasz Rozanski (14-0, 13KO) will contest the vacant WBC Bridgerweight Title in Rzeszow Arena in Poland on Sunday, April 22nd, broadcast live on Sky Sports from 10am-2pm.
At the WBC 2021 Convention in Mexico City, Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas from Colombia had to relinquish his status as the WBC’s first ever Bridgerweight world champion.
Not a huge heavyweight, Oscar stands barely half an inch over six feet. His best and most mobile weight isn’t much over 200lbs. The Bridgerweight division is for fighters who weigh over 200lbs, but not more than 224lbs.
Previously as a relatively small heavyweight, Oscar won the NABF heavyweight title in his 21st fight. He went on to challenge Briton Dillian Whyte for the WBC Interim heavyweight WBC belt. He knocked Dillian down in round nine with a peach of a right uppercut, but outweighed more than 20lbs, he ultimately lost via UD. His only defeat in the pro ranks.
Oscar won the Inaugural WBC Bridgerweight title with a UD over Ryan Rozicki. Before his first defense scheduled against Lukasz Rozanski, in Colombia, Oscar was going to fight Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba. But, Oscar suffered an eye injury in his final sparring session. He’d previously undergone surgery in 2011 for a detached retina in his right eye. At 35 years old and after a 13-year pro career, he’s taking a bit of time out to recover and reassess.
So, Lukasz Rozanski from Poland, who was to be Oscar’s maiden defence, will now fight the fearsome Alen Babic from Croatia for the vacant title.
Physically, these two match up very well. Alen stands six feet one and a half inches tall and has a 74" reach. Lukasz is six feet one inches tall and he also has a 74" reach. Plus both punchers are undefeated and won all but onoe of their fights by KO.
Alen, aged 32, who eked out a living as a nightclub bouncer for a decade before finding his vocation and hitting the big time in boxing, is five years younger than Lukasz.
However, Lukasz who’s always fought in his homeland of Poland as a pro, now has the opportunity of a lifetime, because he’s fighting this championship bout in his hometown of Rzeszow, where he was born.
Lukasz has built an undefeated record of 14-0, 13 KOs, since turning pro in 2015. In his most recent fight he KO’d former heavyweight contender Artur Szpilka in the first round. Earlier in his career he stopped former British and EBU heavyweight Champion Michael Sprott in two.
Alen who’s nicknamed The Savage is also unbeaten with a record of 11-0, 10 KOs. His pro debut was in 2019. His KO record was punctuated in his most recent fight against Adam Balski, in which he won a UD and with it, the vacant WBC Silver Bridgerweight title. Alen was down in the first, but Adam was deducted a point for hitting after the bell ending the eleventh.
All but two of Alen’s pro fights have been in Britain. He’s also sparred Tyson Fury, Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce. Glad to have won the Silver title, he now says: “I want more. I want it all!”
Both men are big punchers. With this sort of goodnight power, anything can happen.
Alen most recently fought against Adam Balski on May 21st last year. But we have to go all the way back to May 30th 2021, when Lukasz swiftly dispatched compatriot Artur Szpilka.
With both big boys unbeaten and KO ratios in the 90" region, this is sure to be an explosive bout with the winner certain to triumph by knockout!
WBC World Title Fights Held in Poland
There have been just five world title fights hosted in Poland during the entire WBC history:
15/05/2010:
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk TKO8 vs Giacobbe Fragmeni
Lodz, Poland
20/09/2010:
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk UD12 vs Jason Robinson
Warsaw, Poland
02/04/2011:
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk SD12 vs Francisco Palacios
Bydgoszcz, Poland
10/09/2011:
Vitali Klitschko TKO10 vs Thomasz Adamek
Wroclaw, Poland
22/09/2012:
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk UD12 vs Francisco Palacios
Wroclaw, Poland
Article sponsored by HÖRFA
