Guido Vianello Appears From Nowhere To Add A New Contender To The Heavyweight Division
Guido Vianello delivered the biggest victory of his career on Saturday by stopping Arslanbek Makhmudov in the eighth round of their heavyweight bout.
Vianello (13-2-1 11 KO) was regarded as the underdog at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada but soon dispelled those odds, breaking down the fearsome Makhmudov (19-2-0 18 KO) and busting up his eye before the doctor intervened and waved off the contest after the seventh round.
It earned the Italian a measure of revenge having lost to Makhmudov in the amateurs almost a decade ago when the Russian won their bout at the World Series of Boxing with a fourth-round stoppage.
“I am a contender now. I am ready for the world level, and I proved that tonight,” said Vianello, who entered the bout after narrow, split-decision loss to ranked contender Efe Ajagba.
“I thought I beat Efe Ajagba, and I came into this fight with a lot of confidence. I was in the best shape of my career, and that showed tonight. I dominated him and then knocked him out.”
Vianello Set To Climb Rankings
Vianello was not in the top 15 rankings of any of the four major sanctioning bodies ahead of this fight, but so impressive was his display against Makhmudov that ‘The Gladiator’ will no doubt feature when the lists are next updated.
Vianello was the faster, sharper, and more skillful fighter from the opening bell. He landed punches with precision and force, frequently finding the target of Makhmudov’s head. By the third round, the Russian’s left eye was starting to swell. Smartly, Vianello targeted the eye whenever possible, taking advantage of his opponent’s impaired vision to land at will.
Makhmudov attempted to close down the Italian by cutting off the ring and firing off punches from close range, but Vianello’s movement and anticipation were too good. The only other fighter to defeat Makhumodv so convincingly was Agit Kabayel, who is now a top-five ranked contender.
It’s a little premature to state Vianello is quite at that level yet – a few more credible victories are needed – but the Italian has no doubt added a new contender to a thriving heavyweight division.
Boxing’s biggest weight class is as healthy as it’s ever been, thanks to the recent involvement and investment of Saudi Arabia and Turki Alalshikh. Not only are the biggest fights being made, but more regularly than at any time in the past few decades. This has led to a first undisputed champion in 24 years and frequent title fights.
More Tests Needed To Prove ‘World Level’
But more than that, it’s allowed the heavyweight division to shape and evolve. Contenders like Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang have been given regular fights and are enjoying late-career surges, fighters like Kabayel and Martin Bakole have emerged as legitimate challengers, and young talent like Jared Anderson and Moses Itauma are given more opportunities.
Vianello will want to get in on that action and will hope Alalshikh tuned in for his fight on Saturday. The Saudi boxing boss was tweeting about the main event fight in Quebec City – specifically Sergiy Derevyanchenko’s torn bicep in his loss to Christian Mbilli – so the Italian will hope he was watching the co-main event, too.
Vianello has all the attributes a heavyweight would want; at 6ft 6in, the Italian has height and reach, he has power in both hands, and unlike lots of big men, he has athleticism and movement. As he said following his victory over Makhmudov, he will need to prove himself at “world level”, and there are several fights that would provide a barometer of how good ‘The Gladiator’ is.
Like every leading heavyweight, Vianello will hope to earn a place on the undercard of unified champion Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Tyson Fury on December 21, where he can be matched against another ranked opponent.
The likes of former IBF interim champion Filip Hrgovic, Olympic gold medallist Bakhodir Jalolov, or Bakole – fresh from his stunning knockout win over Anderson – would all be interesting opponents for Vianello. All three would be a big step up, but if Vianello is truly determined to prove that he is at world level, then these are the guys he needs to fight and beat to prove it.
