By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
WBA #4 super middleweight Bilal Akkawy (21-0-1, 16 KOs) is training with Canelo Alvarez for his bout with England’s WBA #1 super middleweight John Ryder (27-4, 15 KOs)6 for the vacant WBA super middleweight title on Saturday in Las Vegas on the undercard of the world middleweight unification title bout between Saul Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs. Akkawy replaced WBA #5 David Lemieux who suffered an injury in training. Allan Akkawy, who is the manager of his nephew Bilal Akkawyi, talked to Paul Nasari on 2BACR.
“It was a call up at short notice for Bilal to fight John Ryder for the WBA super middleweight title but fortunately he was in training with Canelo Alvarez in Mexico under trainer Eddie Reynoso,” said Allan Akkawy.
“Ryder is a southpaw and Bilal is now sparring southpaws and he is in high spirits and really looking forward to this fight. Ryder is coming off some good wins since he lost to Rocky Fielding back in April 2017 when he lost a split decision in a close fight where there was a lot of holding. Fielding is awkward and tall and Ryder tried to stay in close but against Bilal. I don’t think he will stay that close. Ryder looks a very fit boy and he is not scared to exchange. He had a good win over Patrick Nielsen who was 29-1 and stopped him in the fifth round. He stopped Jamie Cox who was 25-1 in the second round. In his last fight he beat Andrey Sorotkin who was 15-0 and gave him his first loss stopping him in seven rounds.
“We are not underestimating this bloke. In saying that – it is a world title shot and we are taking it at short notice and god willing Bilal will come away with a knockout win. Ryder is similar to former world rated Kerry Hope who Bilal stopped. He is about the same height and Hope was also a southpaw. (Hope suffered a broken jaw). Ryder has less head movement and when he feels Bilal’s power it should change the direction of the fight. Bilal’s final sparring session was on Saturday now this week we will get his weight right. There will be a solid Aussie contingent in Las Vegas to support Bilal including his Australian promoter Paul Nasari.”