On Saturday, August 5, Latvian super welterweight Jevgenijs ‘The Hurricane’ Aleksejevs (14-0, 9 KO) scored an impressive 3rd Round TKO of France’s Dimitri Trenel (9-4, 5 KO), who was dropped once in second and twice in the third.
The bout, Aleksejevs’s first in nearly two years, was featured on the undercard of Samuel Medina vs Dorian Maidana at the Hotel Holiday World in Benalmadena, Andalucía, Spain.
With the win, the 30-year-old Latvian shook off a little ring rust, built upon his perfect record, and resumed his surge toward boxing stardom.
Of note, Jevgenijs entered the ring Saturday night at a lean and fit 151 1/2 pounds, a full 10 pounds lighter than he was when he last fought in October 2021 and a whopping 17 1/2 pounds less than when he made his pro debut in September 2013. In fact, Aleksejevs has fought as high as 186.
Seemingly quicker, more flexible, and optimally conditioned these days, perhaps The Hurricane has found a home in the super welterweight division. At this weight, the 6’0″ fighter will undoubtedly have a height and reach advantage over most opponents. And given he’s faced – and defeated – much bigger opposition in the past, he’ll likely have a durability advantage over most foes should he remain at super welterweight.
In addition to having already fought in four of boxing’s weight classes, Aleksejevs is an accomplished kickboxer who won several elite-level kickboxing tournaments before a leg injury ended his kickboxing career. Now, he intends to become a world-champion pugilist.
Image courtesy of MightyTips.com
And yes, a few high-level kickboxers have succeeded in boxing, including:
- Chris Algieri, former WBO Junior Welterweight Champion
- Holly Holm, former 3-division boxing champion and UFC Champion
- Vitali Klitschko, Boxing Hall of Famer and former WBC Heavyweight Champion
- Troy Dorsey, former IBF World Featherweight Champion
Will The Hurricane follow in the footsteps of the above kickboxers turned pugilists?
Only time will tell… But he’s off to a tremendous start.