The newly crowned WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs 48-4-1 (42) is one entertaining individual with an
amusing sense of humor who has overcome the odds to earn the title of heavyweight champion, the World Boxing
Organization’s heavyweight champion to be exact, a belt he won November 4th by defeating then champ
Sergei Liakhovich via knockout.
Many boxing fans believe it will only go a few rounds because they believe there are three factors that will make
this fight a short one. in favor of the champion.
Size
Briggs is 6’4 ½ and will hold at least a 40 pound weight advantage. Camp Briggs he keeping quite on weather he will
come to the fighter lighter than he did against Sergui Lyahkovich, but regardless the size difference will be very
substantial. Ibragimov stands just over 6 foot tall and does he best work a few pounds south of the 220 pound mark.
Ibragimov has had success with larger foes, specifically the 6’7 270 pounds Lance Whitaker, but Whitaker by all
accounts has been past his best – mentally and physically – for quite some time.
Sultan Vs Shannon Results
Ibragimov followed trainer Jeff Mayweather's game plan perfectly, punch Briggs upside the head with hard left hands thoughout the fight and walked away with a piece of the heavyweight championship. The poorly conditioned Briggs -- 45 pounds heavier than when he faced Lennox Lewis in 1998 -- did nothing, Briggs never attempted to go for a knockout. He basically gave up his title without a fight. |
Heavyweight |
Sultan Ibragimov W12 Shannon Briggs
Wins a heavyweight title. |
| Scores: |
119-109, 117-111, 115-113 |
| Records: |
Ibragimov, 21-0-1; Briggs, 48-5-1 |
|
Experience
Briggs has been in the ring with five former champions: Sergui Lyahkovich, Ray Mercer, Lennox Lewis, Frans Botha,
and George Foreman. Briggs also has been in the ring as a professional fifty-three times and this will only be
Ibragimov’s 21st time.
The champion has also appeared on a number of high profile fights, including bouts on HBO, Showtime, and PPV.
The challenger has appeared once, on ESPN 2. Briggs is used to the build up of a title fight while Ibragimov
has only fought two opponents who have fought back. On his ESPN 2 fight Ibrigamov was lucky to walk away with a
draw, after being put on the canvas by the light hitting Ray Austin in the final round. Ibragimov was also in a
tougher than expected fight with unheralded Friday Ahuanya. Neither of those two fighters are anywhere close to
the same league as Briggs.
Style
If there is an instruction manual on how to beat Briggs it’s to stay on the outside, use the jab, and outbox him
while piling on the points. Jameel McCline did it to perfection and Sergei Lyahkovich did it effectively for 10
rounds before making the mistake of trying to fight Briggs’ fight in the championship rounds.
If there is an instruction manual on how NOT to fight Briggs it might have been written by Ibragimov. Ibragimov
likes to get inside and get in punching range. Ibragimov also likes to go toe-to-toe with opponents. Against fighters
lesser than Briggs this is fine, but with Briggs he if fighting a man who has 42 knockouts who has knocked out iron
chinned fighters like Lyahkovich and Mercer. Previous to that Briggs nearly knocked out Lewis in their title fight
and knocked down Frans Botha with a single shot. As Austin showed in their match-up it appears that Ibragimov is
wide open to counter shots, a Shannon Briggs specialty.
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