Hennessy Sports and Golden Gloves are pleased to announce that heavyweight prospect Hughie Lewis Fury will take a huge step-up in class on February 21st in Monte Carlo, when he battles Ukrainian Andriy Rudenko over ten rounds on Channel 5.
Hughie, cousin of Tyson, has been sidelined since May, due to illness, and is eager to get active again in 2015. Now fit and well, Fury, 14-0 (8 KOs), begins the year with a major assignment overseas.
The 31-year-old Rudenko was born in Dnipropetrovsk and is 24-1 (16 KOs) as a professional. Known as a heavy-handed knockout artist, he has stopped 12 of his last 14 opponents and finished the majority of them within four rounds.
In his last bout, however, Rudenko suffered the sole loss of his professional career in a WBA Inter-continental heavyweight title fight against unbeaten Australian Lucas Browne. The fight went the distance and Rudenko navigated his way through twelve rounds for the first time in his career, but a close decision went the way of Browne.
Rudenko now faces his second unbeaten heavyweight in a row and the 20-year-old Fury, keen to make up for lost time, will look to become the first man to stop the hard-punching Ukrainian.
“This is a big step-up in class for Hughie and we are delighted to be able to secure such a quality fight for the masses watching on Channel 5,” said promoter Mick Hennessy.
“We strongly believe Hughie is one of the world’s best heavyweight prospects and he will prove this in 2015, starting with a statement win against Rudenko in Monte Carlo.
“After that, we will gradually increase the level of competition and be on the hunt for major titles. Give it a year or two and Hughie will be joining Tyson Fury in taking over the world heavyweight division.”
Peter Fury, Hughie’s trainer and father, added: “This fight is by no means a certainty. Hughie needs the respect of everyone for taking such a fight after coming off a long illness.
“Unlike many other heavyweights, Hughie will learn his trade properly by taking genuine fights from now on, and we look forward to seeing how he deals with a high-level opponent on February 21st. Hughie relishes the challenge.”
Fury’s fight with Rudenko is added to the ‘Thunderbolt in Monaco’ show headlined by the WBA Super world middleweight title fight between champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and British challenger Martin Murray.
Also on the undercard is the vacant European bantamweight title fight between Bristol’s Lee Haskins and Frenchman Omar Lamiri, as well as the WBA and IBO world minimumweight title clash between South African Hekkie Budler and Mexican Jesus Silvestre. Channel 5 will televise the event on Saturday, February 21.
