Heavyweight awaits WBO mandatory title shot

With a mandatory world championship bout on the horizon in early 2008, Tony “The Tiger” Thompson is determined to be at his best.  For that reason the 35-year old Silver Spring, Maryland native has decided to stay active and headline a Goossen Tutor Promotions event in preparation for his World Championship Challenge.

 

On Thursday night, September 27, Thompson will step into the ring in a scheduled ten-round heavyweight main event on a card entitled “Fall Brawl” at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. No opponent announced yet.

 

The rangy 6-5 southpaw emerged as the top-ranked WBO heavyweight contender by registering a stunning fifth-round knockout of German national hero Luan Krasniqi in Hamburg back in July in a WBO Heavyweight Championship Elimination Bout.

With the win, Thompson (30-1, 18 KOs) was to face the winner of a WBO/WBA Heavyweight Unification Bout between WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov and WBA king Ruslan Chagaev, however, the unification bout was scrapped for Chagaev medical reasons.  Thompson, hoping his mandatory shot would come sooner than expected with the opening, was quite disappointed in Ibragimov’s decision to face former 4-time world heavyweight champion Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield instead of Thompson.  

“I was ready to step in when Chagaev pulled out,” Thompson acknowledged.  “It was Ibragimov’s choice, not mine.  Fighting Holyfield rather than me again shows why I am the most avoided heavyweight in the world today.  But, I've waited this long, I can wait a few extra months to have the WBO world championship belt placed around my waist.  

“So instead of letting it fester, I asked Nate and Stevie (co-managers Peake and NBA star Francis) to keep me fighting and in front of the public while I await the winner of Ibragimov-Holyfield.”

Goossen Tutor matchmaker Tom Brown accommodated Thompson and his managers by placing him at Tachi Palace as the main event. 

Peake knows the stakes involved here no matter the level of opponent.

“Whenever two big guys step into the ring anything can happen,” Peake observed.  “You can never take any opponent lightly, especially when there is a world title bout up next.  I expect Tony to be even better than he was with Krasniqi, and keep his momentum moving forward to his mandatory championship challenge.”

Thompson promoter Dan Goossen put it very succinctly, “Big, strong and talented.  Its tough to be southpaw and that good. But that's what Tony Thompson is.”

“September 27th at Tachi Palace I plan on winning and doing it impressively.  Then on October 13th Ibragimov and all of his fans will welcome me ringside in Russia when he defends his title against Holyfield,” Thompson quipped. 

I certainly don't want to distract either fighter, it's just a friendly reminder to the winner, ‘I Got Next.’"