Heavyweight Wild Card! Michael Hunter Wanted Joshua Last Minute, Defeats Kuzmin

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

Heavyweight contender Michael Hunter is a wow wild card in the division! Michael Hunter lost one close decision to Oleksandr Usyk for the WBO world cruiserweight title in 2017. Hunter and Usyk eventually moved up to the heavyweight division and the bigger money. Hunter has now won six consecutive bouts at heavyweight. Usyk will make his heavyweight debut against 14-0 Tyrone Sprong in Chicago next month.

Hunter, 18-1 with 12 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, is the son of former USBA Heavyweight champion Mike ‘The bounty’ Hunter. As Marvis Frazier proved, and Buster Mathis Jr. echoed, being the son of a former heavyweight champion or contender is no guarantee of success. Hunter Sr. actually fought a 12 round No-contest with Mathis Jr. Mike Jr. is currently trained by former world heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (one of three to defeat Lennox Lewis).

Hunter rose up professionally as a cruiserweight. He had been the 2011 Olympic trials Super Heavyweight Gold Medalist in 2011 for the United States, and an Olympic Games heavyweight quarterfinalist in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Currently the World Boxing Association Inter-Continental Heavyweight champion and a legitimate top 25 worldwide heavyweight, Hunter wanted to be the last minute substitute challenger for Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden when Jarrell Miller got disqualified. Hunter trained for the golden opportunity to the very end, even after Andy Ruiz got the opportunity instead. Hunter is a game warrior, a fearless game chance with superior confidence.

On Friday, September 13, 2019, Hunter won a unanimous decision over Sergey Kuzmin, 15-1 with 11 knockouts, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation to retain his WBA regional title. When Hunter knocked down Kuzmin in the fifth round, his status as a legitimate world class contender was solidified. Andy Ruiz and Deontay Wilder, the current heavyweight champions of record, cannot avoid Hunter much longer. Hunter versus Dillian Whyte would be, at this point, a spectacular matchup in 2020. Hunter wants Alexander Povetkin next. Povetkin has never ducked an opponent, so it could happen.

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