Usually, once a fighter turns pro, they normally rack up a ton of fights. Those fights can sometimes take place months or even weeks apart. The level of opposition doesn’t quite matter but gaining experience is salient.
In the case of Arben Markasheviq, however, things didn’t quite play out that way. For the Montenegro native, he essentially turned pro at the worst possible time. Considering that COVID-19 was still a prevalent worldwide issue in 2021, finding consistent fights became impossible.
After making his pro debut against Joshia Villion, Markasheviq (2-0-1, 1 KO) spent the next year plus sequestered on the sidelines. He may have taken out his frustrations on Turner Williams, stopping him in the first round, but that win led to another six-month sabbatical.
The stop-and-go nature of his career thus far has been frustrating. So, this Friday night at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York, Victor Hugo Exner, his latest opponent, will have to brace himself.
“I want the knockout,” said Markasheviq during a recent interview with BoxingScene.com. “I’m not gonna force it but that’s what I want.”
Exner has seen better days. With back-to-back losses plastered to his record, including a second-round stoppage defeat earlier this year, Markasheviq is hoping he’ll steal the show come fight night.
Winning, at least in his mind, is a guarantee but Markasheviq can’t help but look ahead. At the age of 28, he’s still a young man but in terms of boxing, he’s a bit long in the tooth. It isn’t that his time has passed, but more so that he could be smack-dab in the middle of his prime already.
Markasheviq isn’t likely to experience the slow and meticulous climb up the super middleweight ladder. That trail normally includes fights against nondescript opponents, then a few prospects, sprinkle in a few former world champions, then eventually, a title shot.
Instead, his position entails that he’ll likely skip to the front of the line. With only three, soon to be four, fights under his belt, the 28-year-old acknowledges and welcomes the opportunity to jump into the fast lane. Although he doesn’t want to eschew any steps along the way, Markasheviq doesn’t mind getting pushed into the spotlight…even if some believe he should slow down.
“I’m at the point where I don’t mind rushing things,” continued Markasheviq. “I got the strength, I got the heart, and I got the skills. I can bang with anybody. I’m just taking it step by step but we will get there.”