Amongst the thunder clatter that is the welterweight division, a particular name seems to be sliding into view more and more frequently. Aside from the circular arguments about the likelihood of a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao matchup in 2015, the rapid rise of UK’s superstars Kell Brook and Amir Khan, and the instant hype that surrounded fighters like Tim Bradley, Keith Thurman, and Shawn Porter the spotlight seems to be missing Mikael Zewski. Hailing from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, the 25-year old welterweight is 26-0 with 20 knockouts.
Until recently, Zewski wasn’t a familiar name to me either. I first got a taste of the Canadian at Bally’s Atlantic City this past October. Zewski was featured as a 10-round co-main event on a Top Rank card with Glen “The Jersey Boy” Tapia vs. Donatas Bondorovas. At ringside in Atlantic City, I watched Zewski walk through Mexico’s Roberto Ventura like a hot knife through butter. After a first round dominated by Zewski’s jab, the second round looked even less favorable for Ventura. Landing a left hook, followed by a beautiful combination, Zewski ended the bout at 2:23 of round 2 without breaking much of a sweat. Easy work, it seemed. Perhaps the next time I laid eyes on Mikael, I would see him face some tougher opposition.
More recently, Zewski appeared December 13th on the highly anticipated undercard of Top Rank’s Bradley vs. Chaves faceoff in Las Vegas. Facing a much tougher opponent, Zewski entered the ring with Jeremy Bryan. Dishing out credit where credit is due, Jeremy Bryan is certainly no slouch. Bryan, from Paterson, NJ, has been chatted about in boxing circles throughout the tri-state area after his split decision loss to Sadam Ali. Ali, who wiggled out of the ring with a victory over Bryan, most recently showed fans and analysts his true colors by moving on to grab a knockout win over veteran Luis Carlos Abregu on November 8th in Atlantic City. The matchup between Zewski and Bryan appeared to be Zewski’s toughest challenge to date.
Powering through each of the 10-rounds of the dance, Bryan certainly gave Zewski some problems. Early in the fight, Bryan used a left counter to cut the right eye of Zewski, but the hard-working Canadian powered through, and pulled ahead through the rest of the fight. I caught up with Zewski a few days after his Majority Decision victory over Bryan in Las Vegas, to chat about his recent victories and to sniff around about what might be coming in 2015…
Q: Mikael, just for starters… I saw you in Atlantic City and most of press row was calling you “Mike.” What is your preference?
A: Mike is fine, I just don’t like Michael. My name spells Mikael and it reads “Me-ka-L”
Q: Alright, Mike. In October, you had a very impressive win over Roberto Ventura and most recently, you fought your way to a well-deserved victory over Jeremy Bryan. At 26-0, 20 KOs, tell me more about your career. Have things always looked this clean for you? You seem to be sweeping through your professional career with ease.
A: I have 20 KOs, but KOs don’t’ matter to me. Putting on a good show does matter, and the fans love KOs. I don’t look for it, but if I see an opportunity, I do everything to take it. My career is going very well, thanks to my hard work and to my coach/dad and my manager Cameron Dunkin.
Q: Jeremy Bryan, lost a split decision to Sadam Ali before facing you. That was pretty notable, since Ali just defeated Abregu, making Bryan a big W for you. Your thoughts?
A: It’s tough to rate my performance. My opponent used an extremely defensive style, making it hard for me to place punches. I was not very happy with my performance, but I can either complain about it or learn from it, I’ll choose option number two. I was supposed to fight a more aggressive guy, but he pulled out one week before the fight. Bryan was there, available and ready, so we took it.
Q: What’s next for you? What is the chatter or the game plan? Who would you like to face next?
A: I’m willing to fight anyone. I want to move up in the rankings and get myself more well-known in the US and Canada.
Q: About that. What is the plan for your weight? You’ve fought in a few different weight classes. Where are you most comfortable? Where do you see yourself settling in long-term?
A: I’m a welterweight. When I’m fighting non-title fights, I like to fight north of 147 because it is easier to make the weight, but I’m a welterweight. I plan on winning my first world title in the welterweight division.
Q: Last but not least, and a personal curiosity, which venue did you enjoy most? Where would you love to fight again?
A: I like different places for different things. In Montreal, the crowd is amazing. Madison Square Garden has its own vibe. The Garden is different for some reason, and I love it. Las Vegas, when you go there the whole city is boxing, and you just don’t see that anywhere else. I’m in love with Vegas
A stand-out in the amateurs, Zewski has only been professional for two years, racking up his impressive 26-0, 20 KOs record. Zewski is currently signed with Top Rank and managed by Cameron Dunkin. And so it is, as 2014 winds to a close and 2015 promising the boxing universe to be a big year, let us stay on the lookout for Mr. Zewski. The Canadian has certainly earned our watchful eye.
