WBC Special Preview: Mikaelyan vs Makabu
By James Blears
Former WBC cruiserweight champion Junior Ilunga Makabu (29-3, 25KO) must be familiar with the concept of: “To have and have not,” made famous by the Ernest Hemmingway novel, which was turned into the Howard Hawks film. The southpaw from the Congo had it all, lost it, and now it's all or nothing to try and regain it.
On Saturday, November 4, opportunity knocks as he fights mandatory challenger Noel Gervor Mikaelian (26-2, 14KO) from Germany via Armenia and now based in Florida. The fight for the WBC cruiserweight title will be held at Casino Miami, Jai-Alai Miami, Florida.
The event is being promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Don King, who is turning 92. Bold as brass and showman that he is and will forever be, Mr King insists: “It's a festive boxing season to outshine any before. A November and December to remember!” Such unquenchable vintage enthusiasm should be bottled.
It's been a rocky road for 35-year-old African Ilunga, who has encountered pebbles in his shoe along the way. In 2016 he calmly and audaciously flew to the UK to take on Liverpool's Tony Bellew at Goodison Park, the home ground of Everton football club, for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title. The lifelong 'Toffees' fan fulfilled his dream of fighting on hallowed ground, but the visitor almost ruined the fairytale. At the end of round one, his peach of a left hook counter upended Tony and its momentum caused the plucky Scouser to execute an almost perfect backward somersault. Tony got up, still stunned and hurt, and the sweet music of the bell sounded.
Tony had courted disaster, teetering upon the verge of it. But on that special night crackling with pent up and then released gushing emotion, Tony the Toffee wasn't to be denied. He knocked Ilunga unconscious in a fabled third round and at last on his third attempt became champion of the world. Ilunga's previous defeat had been a first round TKO stoppage in his 2008 debut, against Khayeni Hlungwane.
This second one proved a significant setback for heavy handed Ilunga who'd already fared far worse having overcome a childhood scarred by poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Remembering his lean, stringy, modest roots, which spurred him on as a hungry fighter, he now donates money to help feed and educate children in his surrounding local areas.
Weathering another stage of adversity, Ilunga fought his way back and travelled all the way to Russia to win the vacant WBC Silver belt by stopping Dmitry Kudryashov in round five. He was once again back on track and on his way to climbing up the ladder after a wrong rung!
Then, on home turf of Kinshasa, he took on previously undefeated Michal Cieslak for the Absolute title and triumphed in a slugfest. Serious trouble occured in the third, yet Ilunga ralled a round later to knock his opponent down. But Cieslak returned the compliment in a torrid fifth. Ilunga who soaked up considerable pressure kept fighting back to eventually win via UD, and with it, he achieved his dream of becoming champion of the world.
At the World Boxing Council's 2021 Convention in The Intercontinental Hotel in Mexico City, Makabu came within an ace of hitting the jackpot. Eddy Reynoso requested that Saul Canelo Alvarez fight him for the cruiserweight title. Had it taken place and Saul had won, it would have been a history maker, with a belt in a fifth weight category for the Mexican superstar. Victory or defeat would have provided Ilunga with the golden ticket to be set up for life, but it was not to be.
Makabu made two successful defenses of his crown. He stopped African champion Olanrewaju Durodola in the seventh with two clubbing left hooks. Not such a plain sailing cruise against the durable and resourceful Thabiso Mchunu, however, who presented a sterner test, which Ilunga just came through via a MD.
Then it all unraveled against Badou Jack, who dropped him with a heavy right in the fourth, repeated the dose in the 11th and then piled on the pressure to stop Ilunga with a TKO in the final round. "Jak the Ripper" has since vacated the title to pursue Bridgerweight laurels. So Ilunga has one more opportunity and it comes against Mikaelian.
How much has this most recent defeat taken out of Ilunga. During it he shipped a lot of sustained punishment. Aged 35, he's only two years older than Noel, but his career has been considerably more grueling. Though, best to remember that Ilunga demonstrates admirable depth and traits of character under fire. When the pressure is on, he digs deep drawing balm from a reservoir of resolve and calm. Of his 29 pro career wins, 25 have been KOs. That's an 86% KO ratio! He possesses and retains power!
The flip side of the coin is if Mikaelian can cope with that stunning punching prowess, avoid it to impose his own smarts, then he has a storng chance to win the world title. His record is 26-2, 11 KOs. Thus far, he's never been knocked out and Makabu hasn't stopped anyone in almost three years now.
In 2017, he lost a SD TO Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. Two fights later he lost a UD to Mairis Briedis for the WBC Diamond strap. He bounced back winning the WBC International belt with a fourth round TKO of Jesse Bayan and in his most recent fight, he won the WBC's Silver title with a UD over Youri Kayembre Kalenga. He has more than earned his opportunity!
At last year's WBC Convention in Acapulco, Noel already had his sights set on Ilunga and said he was looking forward to the fight of a lifetime. It looked set to happen at the beginning of this year, but took a slight delay until now.
Makabu is likely to be seeking a slugfest at short range where he can body punch and use his vaunted left hook upstairs. Mikaelian will use his height and reach advantages to keep it long and punish the man from the Congo, who isn't a difficult target to find, while trying to avoid the impact of a bolt from the blue. So often, though, just one well placed punch can derail the best laid plans, especialy up at 200lbs.
Who is Noel Gevor Mikaelian?
Norair Mikaelian, born 18 September 1990, is better known as Noel Gevor Mikaelian, and is an Armenian-German professional boxer. He held the WBO Youth world and WBO International cruiserweight titles in 2014 and 2016 as well as the WBC International title in 2020, and was a WBC Silver world champion in 2022. He is the step-son of former European middleweight champion Khoren Gevor. Nicknamed 'Dark Horse', he is currently signed to Hall of Fame promoter Don King and is ranked as the number one and mandatory challenger for the prestigious WBC world title.
Who is Junior Ilunga Makabu?
Junior Ilunga Makabu, born 8 November 1987, is a Congolese-South African professional boxer. He held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2020 to 2023.
As of June 2022, the southpaw is ranked as the world's second-best active cruiserweight by BoxRec, and fourth by The Ring magazine and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
He is the older brother of heavyweight boxer Martin Bakole.
Tale of the Tape
NOEL “Dark Horse” MIKAELYAN
Armenia/Germany
WBC No.1 mandatory challenger at cruiserweight
Age: 33
DOB: September 18, 1990
Residence: Miami, Florida
Birthplace: Yerevan, Armenia
Record: 32-2, 11 KOs
Total rounds: 194
Height: 6’3” – 190cm
Reach: 75” – 191cm
Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Abael Mikaelyan
Promoter: Sauerland Event
ILUNGA “Junior” MAKABU
Congo
Ranked WBC No.2 at Cruiserweight
Age: 35
DOB: November 8, 1987
Residence: Johannesburg, South Africa
Birthplace: Kananga, Democratic Republic of The Congo
Record: 29-3, 25 KOs
Total rounds: 165
World championship fights: 3-2, 1 KO
Height: 6’0” – 183cm
Reach: 74” – 188cm
Stance: Left-handed
Manager: Tarik Saadi
Promoter: Don King Productions
Betting Odds (Betway Sports)
Makabu: 1/1
Mikaelian: 7/10
Draw: 14/1
How to Watch
Start Time: 1am UK
Ringwalks: 3am approx.
TV Channel: Live on FITE in the US, UK, and other regions
Running Order
Main Event:
Noel Mikaelian vs Ilunga Makabu,
12×3 WBC cruiserweight title
Chief Support:
Jonathan Guidry vs Jesus Escalera
10×3 heavyweights
Undercard:
Trevor Bryan vs Cassius Chaney
10×3 heavyweights
De Von Williams vs Marik Black
8×3 junior welterweights
Isaiah Efrain Riquelmy vs Rondale Hubbert
6×3 junior welterweights
WBC Top 10 World Cruiserweight Champions
- Evander Holyfield (US)
- Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)
- Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba-Germany)
- David Haye (GB)
- Tony Bellew (GB)
- Mairis Briedis (Latvia)
- Zsolt Erdei (Hungary)
- Krzystof Wlodarczyk (Poland)
- Jean-Marc Mormeck (France)
- Anaclet Wamba (France)
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