Former IBF World Tremendous Featherweight Champion Shavkatdzhon “Shere Khan” Rakhimov (17-1-1, 14 KOs) will return to the ring and make his debut combating underneath the Sampson Boxing promotional banner when he faces four-time PROBOX TV alumnae Justin “The Million Greenback Man” Pauldo (17-2, 8 KOs) of Houston, through Orlando, FL.
The pair meet in a 10-round light-weight particular attraction on Saturday, February 8, at Boeing Middle at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, and streamed reside on PROBOX TV.
Introduced by Garry Jonas of Professional Field Promotions, Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing, and Alvino Valles of Texas Boxers and Brawlers Promotions, the night time of world class boxing may even characteristic WBA #2, WBO #19, and Ring Journal #9-ranked tremendous bantamweight and hometown hero Ramon “Dinamita” Cardenas (25-1, 14 KOs) of San Antonio taking over undefeated Bryan “Latino” Acosta (20-0, 8 KOs) of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, within the 10-round predominant occasion; and power-punching former WBC Latino and WBO Latino Tremendous Middleweight Champion Lester Martinez (18-0, 15 KOs) of Guatemala Metropolis, Guatemala, going through additionally undefeated Joeshon “Shontime” James (9-0-2, 5 KOs) of Sacramento within the 10-round tremendous middleweight co-feature.
Rakhimov, initially of Bokhtar, Tajikistan, and now combating out of Downey, California, received the IBF Tremendous Featherweight Title with a spirited TKO 9 over Zelfa Barrett at Etihad Enviornment in Abu Dhabi in November 2022. The 30-year-old southpaw will return to the ring in his first sanctioned look since dropping his title in his first protection 22 months in the past, through an in depth break up resolution to hometown challenger Joe Cordina of Cardiff, Wales, on the Cardiff Worldwide Enviornment in Cardiff.
“I’m grateful to be returning to the ring for a brand new promotional firm,” mentioned Rakhimov. “My opponent a superb, robust fighter, which deserves respect, however he’s no match for me and my drive to return to the world championship.”
In his nine-year professional profession, Rakhimov additionally fought to a majority 12-round draw with chubby then-IBF World Tremendous Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz at Fantasy Springs On line casino in February 2021 and held the IBF Junior Light-weight Championship from 2022 to 2023 and the IBO Tremendous Featherweight Championship from 2017 to 2019.
“‘Shere Khan’ Rakhimov is again and trying to return to the highest of the rankings the place he belongs as quickly as attainable,” mentioned new promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz. “We are going to put him in robust fights like these, which he must make a fast climb again to the highest of the division for a world title problem within the close to future.”
