Louie Burke: Updates From Baku

By Louie Burke

For me it’s been a long time away from home and now we may get stranded a few more days due to the volcano ash that’s floating around Europe and shutting down all the airports. Due to the shut down of the airports, the event has been pushed back a day to allow the officials to come in from Europe. While this has upset some of the boxers it hasn’t fazed Siju one bit, he went out for an "adventure walk" today and met a few of the locals. On the way to the gym today we picked him up on the side of the road, where he was hitchhiking; only Siju.

Siju’s opponent Luduvic Groguhe, boxes for France and is a very big and strong boxer, but Siju is in the right frame of mind and is very anxious to get in the ring and take care of business. Siju will have a big weight disadvantage going into the fight. Siju, who fights at light-heavy, which the limit is 178, (70 kilograms), usually comes in light at that weight. The WSB, has only 5 weight classes, and doesn’t have a 70 kg weight class, but a 75kg weight class, which is about 12 or 13 lbs heavier,( you do the math cause I can’t), and Groguhe, is having to use a rubber suit to make weight, which means he’ll probably gain 10 lbs by fight time. So we might be looking at a 20 lb weight difference by fight time.

Siju looks at this as just another challenge that he’s ready to take on, despite weight or anything else Groguhe has to offer. Siju is a very strong light-heavy and his vast experience should be the difference in this fight. Siju, who came from a povershed childhood overcame greater odds and harder challenges then weight differences. He shows this in his will to be the best. He started boxing at 17 years old, almost 18, many thought he was too old to be successful is boxing. Now 6 years later, no one can argue about his success in the amateurs. Now he’s ready to carry that will and work ethic on to a pro career!

Thanks for your support!!!

Correction:
Sorry I made a mistake on the weights. It is not 70 kg that Siju Shabazz fought at in the amateurs, it’s 80kg and the new World Series of Boxing Weight for Light-heavy is 85 kg not 75.
Sorry of any inconvenience.

Louie