Frank Buglioni will be taking on the formidable Fedor Chudinov this weekend, headlining the Boxnation-broadcasted event. Chudinov will be making the trip to the Wembley Arena, London, putting his WBA Super Middleweight title on the line for the first time.
Buglioni will enter the ring with 17 wins, 1 defeat, 1 draw, 13 knockouts, and undefeated Chudinov with 13 wins, 10 knockouts.
The showdown was originally set to place in July, but was postponed after Chudinov suffered a broken nose during sparring. Some people, like Buglioni, say this has merely given Buglioni further time to prepare, while others say it has only prolonged the inevitable: a crushing defeat at the hands of Chudinov.
Buglioni is a capable fighter with a fairly strong UK fanbase, but the odds really are stacked against him here. The 26-year-old Londoner suffered his first loss in 2014, getting knocked out in 6 rounds by solid European level fighter Sergey Khomitsky. Since then, Buglioni has picked up a lot of detractors.
He may have ironed out a few flaws with the help of former two-weight world champ, Steve Collins, and brother, Paschal, but it’s hard to say if we’ve really witnessed those fruits given Buglioni’s soft opposition.
Against Fernando Castaneda, a late-notice stand-in for Chudinov in July, Buglioni did showcase commendable discipline, but it was all the too cautious. It took Buglioni four rounds before he started mixing up his punches, and led a lot of critics to believe he now has some problems pulling the trigger. Buglioni finally took out Castaneda in the 5th.
But Frank Buglioni remains confident, nonetheless, despite what the bookmakers believe.
“I completed back-to-back training camps and continued to work on my tactics for Chudinov,” Buglioni recently told The Ring. “We also brought in fresh sparring partners, so it’s been brilliant and I feel that I have come up another level.
“They [Collins and Paschal] make sure that my sparring is top class and that has been a huge benefit for me. … I’ll be looking to counterpunch in this fight. I have the height and the reach on him and when he over commits, I’ll be waiting with the right hands and left hooks. When I start landing, I know I can hurt him.”
Chudinov, our #9 Super Middleweight, captured the WBA title from Felix Sturm via Split Decision in May. And that win alone trumps every win on his Saturday opponent’s record. Not that Buglioni is all that impressed by the win, or the Russian’s abilities.
“I think Sturm was made to order. He was a middleweight at the end of his career and was there to be beaten. Other than that Chudinov hasn’t faced any stiff competition.
“He throws a lot of shots and has a good work rate and although he does everything well, there is nothing exceptional about him. Chudinov is a good combination puncher who likes to plant his feet and if you stand in front of him he’ll tee off on you.”
Buglioni said he’s prepared to win via knockout or by taking his man the distance, and that either way, there’ll only be one outcome in store. If Buglioni is right, many doors will open for him.
“This could be the first of many big fights. I want to fight the James DeGales, the George Groves’, the Martin Murrays, the Callum Smiths and the Rocky Fieldings. They’re all massive fights and I’ll be looking to cement my legacy against these guys.”
Who will you be rooting for? Frank Buglioni, the considerable underdog? Or Fedor Chudinov, the odds-on favorite?
Mark Phillips is the Head Staff Writer/Assistant Editor at BoxingBase.com, and provides worldwide news, coverage and analysis – he can be reached via our Contact Page.
