. respects Imam Khataev’s skills and amateur pedigree. The Cuban southpaw suspects, though, that the unbeaten Russian contender isn’t ready for this steep of a step up in opposition in his 11th professional fight.

The two fights atop the card — Edgar Berlanga against Hamzah Sheerz and Shakur Stevenson versus William Zepeda — have received much of the promotional push since the July 12 event was announced last month.

The last thing David Morrell Jr. wanted to do after David Benavidez beat him was wallow in the disappointment of his first professional loss. An undeterred Morrell instead accepted another dangerous assignment five months later on The Ring’s pay-per-view card next month. The confident Cuban southpaw recognizes that Imam Khataev views him the way Morrell looked at Benavidez as they approach their 10-round light heavyweight fight July 12 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

Imam Khataev has knocked out all but one of his opponents as a pro. David Morrell Jr. will undoubtedly represent a step up in class, though, for the 2021 Olympic bronze medalist July 12 in New York.

The Cuban southpaw is still satisfied with much of what he proved Feb. 1 to David Benavidez and anyone else that doubted he could compete at the elite level. Morrell demonstrated he could take the unbeaten Benavidez’s power and gave the WBC light heavyweight champion problems.

The Ring’s second event in New York will be able to accommodate thousands more fans than its inaugural event in Times Square on May 2. It's a tennis venue in Queens where the U.S. Open is played each summer. The stadium, which will host boxing for the first time since it opened in August 2018, has a retractable roof and can accommodate approximately 14,000.

Ring Magazine 3 will take place July 12 in New York City with Edgar Berlanga-Hamzah Sheeraz in a WBC super middleweight title eliminator and Shakur Stevenson defending his WBC lightweight title vs. William Zepeda, The Ring has learned.

Big-punching duo Imam Khataev and Arthur Biyarslanov will return in separate bouts co-headlining an Eye of The Tiger event at Montreal Casino, Montreal, on June 5.

Imam Khataev had to do it the hard way, but he got the job done in a brutal, back-and-forth clash with Durval Elias Palacio in Sydney, Australia. The light-heavyweight pair fought on the undercard of George Kambosos Jr-Jake Wyllie at the Qudos Bank Arena, but it was Khataev (10-0, 9 KOs) who picked up the unanimous points victory with scores of 99-89 twice and 98-90. The fight was streamed live on DAZN.

With a new year upon us and a quiet January in store, things pick up considerably in February and March with the rest of the boxing calendar filling up as we go along.