Sergio Mora believes IBF Junior middleweight champion Bakhram Muratazaliev will continue to be avoided by the top A-side fighters at 154 despite his impressive 3rd round knockout victory last October against former WBO champion Tim Tszyu.
Mora is right. That KO win for Bakhram (23-0, 17 KOs) will work against him getting any of the A-list fighters to agree to face him because he’s too dangerous, and none of them have shown much bravery since they got to the top.
The Turki Factor
Unless Turki Al-Sheikh takes an interest in Murtazaliev, as he’s done with Terence Crawford, he’ll continue to be avoided until he’s shot or beaten by one of the contenders. Crawford was never popular and avoided like the plague through the first 16 years. Although he captured world titles in four divisions, the champions he beat weren’t popular.
Murtazaliev will need Turki to help him get fighters like Sebastian Fundora, Vergil Ortiz Jr, and Jaron Ennis to fight him. Crawford won’t fight him he does choose to return to 154 for the same reasons the others won’t. Bakhram is too dangerous, especially for older fighters.
“I don’t care that he knocked out and beat up Tim Tszyu. I don’t care that he’s a dangerous fighter. He’s one of those forgettable names, Bakhram Murtazaliev. He’s going to be avoided by the big names,” said Segio Mora to the Chris Mannix YouTube channel, talking about IBF 154-lb champion Murtazaliev, likely to be avoided by the top fighters at junior middleweight.
“He’s got a belt,” said Mannix about Murtazaliev.
“You don’t want to fight a guy like that, with a name like that, and with a style like that,” said Mora.
“With a title,” said Mannix about Bakhram having a title.”
The Belt’s Worth
Belts don’t matter in this era of boxing. What’s more important is social media popularity and the ability to connect with fans in interviews on YouTube. Bakhram’s IBF belt might as well be a trinket because it won’t help him lure popular fighters to face him. He needs Turki.
“That comes second. That comes third, actually,” said Mora. “No one is going to want to fight that guy. So, Duva is going to have a hard time promoting him, and making him popular. Yes, they can cash out because of that belt, but it’s not going to be against a name.”
With Bakhram’s power and knockout ability, he would be a lot more popular if his fights were shown on DAZN four or five times a year, but that’s not happening. He can become popular, but he’ll need to be busy and have a promoter who can get fights for him
“Go down the rankings at 154 lbs, and think about the fights you could make against guys that would happily get in the ring with him,” said Mora. “A Serhii Bohachuk would get in the ring with him. Vergil Ortiz if he won [against Israil Madrimov] would get in the ring with him. Boots Ennis would get in the ring with him.”
“No,” said Mora about his belief that Ennis wouldn’t fight Bakhram.
“Charles Conwell would get in the ring with him,” said Mannix.
“The A-sides won’t fight him,” said Mora. “The B-sides will fight him. They have no other choice.”
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