Liam’s Prospect Watch: Alexander Besputin

Liam’s Prospect Watch: Alexander Besputin

By Liam Lawer 

It has been an all British affair so far on the regular edition of ‘Prospect Watch’, and with good reason. We have a wealth of emerging talent here, up and comers from all corners, city and countryside. A revolving door of prospects, contenders and champions keep the sport thriving domestically, and long may it continue.

Nevertheless, sometimes we need to remind ourselves of what forces lay beyond our shores. Casting our net further afield, this time we end up in Oxnard, California – by way of Russia no less – meeting Top Rank’s rising welterweight star, Alexander Besputin.

Besputin, nickname apparently pending, racked up an eye-watering reported amateur ledger of around 300-15. This firm foundation is punctuated with eleven national championships and a European gold medal in 2013. Turning over two years later, aged just 24, the Russian has entered the paid ranks without discovering he is an already faded force, a fate some sadly encounter. Instead, he is more than ready to build on that extensive experience as a pro. Now in his prime years, and already 13(9)-0-0, it doesn’t look as though he’ll be considered a prospect for long. Let’s take a closer look at these early wins.

In just his 7th fight, Besputin stood opposite the ‘Khanqueror’, Breidis Prescott. By this time, Alexander had already stopped 6-0 prospect Christon Edwards, and on the Vargas-Pacquiao undercard had bludgeoned Panamanian puncher, Azael Cosio into retirement.

Prescott, tough as he has always been, lasted the full eight rounds, but was dominated and dropped on the way. Since then, Besputin has bested the likes of 20-0 Juan Ruiz, 14-1 Wesley Tucker, and 21-4-1 Juan Carlos – in a more convincing manner than even stablemate Egidijus Kavaliauskas, the ‘Mean Machine’ could muster.

Perhaps his most important win was the overwhelming of fringe contender Alan Sanchez, 20-3-1, stopping in the ninth a man who had never experienced such a beating before.

If this wasn’t a convincing enough case, then consider this: Not only is he an aggressive, southpaw fighter, and one of those tricky, natural right-handers at that, he has also trained alongside pound-for-pound star, Vasyl Lomachenko.

British fighters and fans are acutely aware his ability, painfully emphasised at the expense of Anthony Crolla last weekend. Besputin’s own lopsided victory may have been buried deep on the undercard, but trainer Marco Contreras has clearly been working hard with his charge, who highlighted again why he is a candidate for title opportunities in the very near future.

We may indeed have our own stable of exciting prospects to get behind, and at welterweight the likes of Josh Kelly, and previously featured Ekow Essuman show a tonne of promise. Make no mistake however, win or lose, they’d all be in for a bruising battle if they came up against this man. Following this is a scarier thought. When watching him fight, one wonders if even our most established would struggle. Special K could conceivably be eaten for breakfast here, by a man with thirteen fights.
He should really have a nickname though.

A final confession: Now WBA no. 1, it may have been a liberty to include Alexander on ‘Prospect Watch’, but he’s so good that it’s simply too hard to resist. Undoubtedly his team, headed by manager, Egis Klimas, will be looking to get him back in the ring very soon. Watch this space.