Raphael Akpejiori admitted the fight he has in store this weekend is—on paper—his toughest test to date.
He couldn’t help but speculate about an even tougher challenge down the road while the star of this weekend’s show was in his presence.
Two heavyweight fights bookend a three-fight ESPN telecast this Saturday from Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. Nigeria’s Akpejiori (15-0, 14KOs) collides with Arslanbek Makhmudov (16-0, 15KOs) in the evening’s co-feature. The main event sees former IBF heavyweight titlist Charles Martin face local hero Jared Anderson (14-0, 14KOs), whom Akpejiori would love to face in a more meaningful fight than the sparring session they once shared.
“There’s a reason why we’re here in his hometown,” Akpejiori acknowledged of Anderson as the four heavyweight shared the stage during Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference. “He’s done a lot with what he’s been given.
“Big ups to you, hopefully we can meet up in the future. We can make something happen and be friends after that.”
Their shared history came by chance, as Akpejiori was on vacation in Houston when advised to visit the facility where Anderson was hard at work in camp. He did just that, though he had to shift from vacation mode and borrow training gear from head to toe.
It proved to be an invaluable experience for the 6’8” Nigerian, now based in Miami and who was able to get a visual for all of the talk surrounding one the sport’s fast-rising heavyweights.
“He’s really good. I really appreciate him,” noted Akperjiori, who is coming off a first-round knockout win January 21 on a club show in Tampa, Florida. “I was in Houston for a holiday and had a fight four weeks before then. He helped me out. For his size, he has a lot of power and his conditioning is amazing. He’s works hard, you can really tell. There’s a reason why we’re here in his hometown. He’s done a lot with what he’s been given.”
Akpejiori views Makhumod as by far his best opponent as a pro. The odds are in line with that assessment; Makhmudov—a Russian heavyweight based in Montreal—is a -900 favorite to prevail according to bet365 sportsbook, who views Akpejiori as a +550 underdog in just his third fight versus an opponent with a winning record.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox