Undefeated Australian heavyweight Lucas Browne(22-0, 19KO’s) has been mandated to face Ruslan Chagaev’s(33-2-1, 20KO’s) for his WBA World heavyweight championship. Time date and place is yet to be arranged, but the guys from iFL TV cornered Browne to get his thoughts on the good news. He started by showing his appreciation for his promoter.
“I’m happy to get the shot, [Ricky] Hatton and the Hatton team have come through with what they’ve said they were gonna do.”
Chagaev is a solid fighter whose only losses have come to the King of the Giants Wladimir Klitschko and the hook-happy Russian Alexander Povetkin. It will take some doing for Browne to walk away with his belt. Unfortunate because that means neither man’s name really rings the right kind of bells to warrant huge pay out for either man in this upcoming fight. So conversation quickly turned to which of the well-known heavyweight Browne would try and entice into a fight with his new prize if he manages to get the win.
“It’s hard to say. I’m assuming I’ll be number one contender for Klitschko[who hold the WBA Super belt, ranked above the regular World title] if I do win it. That’s something that would be down the track, probably 2016. I love to fight [WBC champion, Deontay] Wilder but then again that’s a bit of an up and down, he’s got a few people in line as well.[Tyson] Fury has a shot at Klitschko at the moment, so he’ll wanna take a fight with me if he does lose though. I’m pretty sure he will lose; he doesn’t have the chin for it. Klitschko’s definitely gonna put one on him.”
That’s a pretty comprehensive breakdown of whose is in the mix at the top-end of the heavyweight division. And his final picks are…..:
“I personally would love Tyson Fury out of all that and Deontay Wilder, they’re probably my pick of the two. They’re both someone I want to put on their arse and for the fans point of view as well so I wouldn’t mind doing that.”
The man he seems to pay particular attention to through all that is who most would feel comfortable calling the UK’s best heavyweight Tyson Fury(though Olympic gold medalist and budding prospect Anthony Joshua is not light-years away). Browne addresses this, saying it’s not anything personal, it’s where the money is.
“I’ve spoke to him many times in person and on Direct Message and he’s an absolute gentleman. He’s never disrespected me in a way that I would take offence to, and it’s banter backwards and forwards. I don’t hate the guy in any way whatsoever, but this is boxing; it’s a business, and yeah it’s a good fight.”
Browne has fought in the UK five times so he is well recognised on British shores and a fight with Fury would be more lucrative than one with Wilder in the US, where he is a rather obscure figure. Even if Klitschko does ‘put one on’ Fury when they meet sometime this year, there would still be a title at stake provided Browne gets past Chagaev, heightening the affair even more. A ‘unification’ bout with Wilder in the States wouldn’t go amiss either though.
