Murat Gassiev will box in the United States for the first time in seven years when he meets Poland’s Andrzej Wawrzyk in a ten-round heavyweight contest on August 23 in Miami.
Gassiev has boxed just six times since surrendering his unified cruiserweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk in the 2018 World Boxing Super Series final. After moving to heavyweight he rattled off five largely routine victories, then dropped a split decision to Otto Wallin in September 2023. The 30-year-old Russian returned last October in Yerevan, Armenia, where he stopped unbeaten Dane Kem Ljungquist inside four rounds.
Wawrzyk provides Gassiev’s first test of 2025. The 37-year-old former title challenger has lost four of his last five, three inside the distance, and fought only twice since ending a six-year hiatus in 2022. His most recent outing was a third-round stoppage defeat to Croatian prospect Agron Smakici in April.
Victory would re-establish Gassiev’s momentum in a crowded heavyweight field, though critics argue he needs sterner opposition if he is to climb the rankings and challenge names at the top end of the division.
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