“May Upset Ennis”: Chukhadzhian's Sparring Partner and Coach on Karen's Chances

On November 9 in Philadelphia, USA, Ukrainian welterweight (up to 66.7 kg) and Ready to Fight ambassador Karen Chukhadzhian (24-2, 13 KOs) will attempt to capture the IBF championship title from American Jaron Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs).

British welterweight Michael King (6-2, 4 KOs), who is training alongside Chukhadzhian, shared his impressions of sparring with the Ukrainian and assessed his chances against Ennis.

“I was invited to spar with Karen by my manager, Al Siesta. We train with Chukhadzhian three times a week: on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

I’m not trying to copy Ennis’s style, but like him, I work in both stances, switching them throughout the fight. I also apply constant pressure and work well on counterattacks.

I think the Chukhadzhian vs. Ennis fight will be a great matchup for the fans. If Karen uses his phenomenal footwork and works in combination on counterattacks, the fans may well see Chukhadzhian upset Ennis in a fight between two top fighters in the division,” said King.

Vyacheslav Senchenko, a well-known Ukrainian boxer and coach preparing Karen for the fight, explained that his fighter is facing the best boxer in the world in the welterweight division.

“Right now, I have my student Karen Chukhadzhian, with whom I’ve been working for 10 years. We are in Germany, in Hamburg, preparing for the championship bout against the strongest boxer in this weight class, Jaron Ennis. This will be a fight for the IBF world title. This is the most important event in our lives and in my coaching career.

Of course, as a coach, I believe Karen will win. We will dream of victory; otherwise, there’s no point when your student is boxing. If you don’t believe in victory, then what’s the point of stepping into the ring at all?

I’d like to remind you that Karen will be boxing the best fighter in the world. He is number one in this weight class, so it will certainly be tough, but we believe we can win,” Senchenko said in an interview with UkrSport.