Lucas Browne is set for a shot at the WBA regular Heavyweight title in the near future after overcoming durable Ukrainian opponent Andriy Rudenko.
Browne landed a unanimous decision win last Friday to take the vacant WBA Inter-Continental title, which should guarantee him a spot in the WBA’s top 10 rankings.
This should place him in a prime position for a shot at current champ Ruslan Chagaev.
Luis Ortiz and Lateef Kayode will contest the interim title next month, with the winner likely to face Chagaev next. That means just one more fight for Browne could see him fighting for the belt as the other top 10 contenders such as Alexander Povetkin, Bryant Jennings and Deontay Wilder are all aiming for the WBC version of the world title.
This gives Browne an interesting choice for his next opponent, either Travis Kaufman or Fres Oquendo are beatable fighters who would boost his WBA ranking.
Rudenko provided one of Browne’s hardest challenges to date. Previously unbeaten, Rudenko had an excellent chin which meant he was untroubled by Browne’s main asset, his punching power. He took Browne the distance and landed powerful punches of his own which left Browne’s face badly marked. Rudenko also leant in with his head on several occasions, worsening the cuts on Browne’s face.
After gaining the victory, Browne admitted that he hadn’t enjoyed the fight. He had been taken out of his comfort zone; he hadn’t gone the 12-round distance at this pace before. At times he looked as if he was badly lacking in stamina.
However, the fight provided confirmation to Browne that he was capable of going the distance and left him vowing to work on his fitness for future fights.
The judge’s scorecards flattered Browne somewhat; the fight closer than the five and four-round margins two of the judges gave to the Australian. What mattered though, was that he got through this fight, and with trainer Jeff Fenech saying that Browne hits harder than Mike Tyson, he can go a long way in the current heavyweight division.
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