ANDREY FEDOSOV vs LANCE WHITAKER

Russian heavyweight Andrey Fedosov looked impressive on Friday Night Fights in January when he pounded former contender Lionel Butler into defeat in two rounds. However, he was meeting a 42-year-old who had boxed just once in six years. On Saturday, Fedosov faces by far his biggest test — in every way — when he takes on the 6ft 8in, 250-pound Lance Whitaker in an off-TV 10-rounder.

In his last fight, Whitaker survived a first-round flooring to push Oliver McCall very close. If it hadn’t been for the knockdown, Whitaker would have come away with a draw.

Whitaker is 38, though, and 11 months ago he was somewhat hard-pressed to win a decision over the journeyman Danny Batchelder.

Fedosov is one of the smaller heavyweights at 6ft 1in and about 220 pounds, but he has a tenacious look about him and he showed hand speed and good punching power against the ageing Butler. Of course, Fedosov is untested, and he hasn’t been past four rounds in his last nine fights. If he finds himself in a long, hard-slogging fight with the huge Whitaker there is the possibility that he might find the going a bit too tough.

Although Fedosov has been blowing people out lately it took him nine rounds to stop a trial horse named Suren Kalachyan. Even though the fight was four years ago, this fight puts a little doubt in my mind about Fedosov.

Still, Fedosov has probably improved considerably since then, and his people feel that the step-up fight against Whitaker is being made at the right time.

I think Fedosov should be able to win on Saturday. He is young and ambitious, and I think he will most likely be a bit too busy and quick-fisted for Whitaker. A long fight looks likely, perhaps going the full 10 rounds — although I have a suspicion that Fedosov might be able to force a stoppage on punch-volume somewhere around the ninth round.