Nigerian puncher Rafael Akpejiori (14-0, 13 KOs) at the last moment refused to enter the ring on December 16 in Shawinigan (Canada) against Russian-born heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov (15-0, 14 KOs).
He’s already got a replacement. Considering the timing, things could have been worse – an age-old gatekeeper from Germany, Michael Wallisch (23-5, 16 KOs), will visit the prospectus.
To the credit of the 37-year-old German, all of his five defeats – exclusively in battles with solid opposition – were lost to Christian Hammer, Efe Adjagbe, Tony Yoke, Joe Joyce and Murat Gassiev. True, all his defeats are early.
In May, Wallisch closed the defeat to Gassiev – he scored in two rounds of a compatriot journeyman
Tony Tessa.
In October, it was rumored that Fury would fight Makhmudov. The champion began to ridicule the Russian. He answered menacingly: “Soon you will know my name!”
