Murad Khalidov didn’t look like a man coming off an 11-year hiatus as he blasted away Sergey Kuzmin inside the distance, live on talkSPORT.
The unbeaten Russian heavyweight last donned the gloves in February 2014, but after a stint in bare-knuckle boxing, he returned to the ring on Monday in Saint Petersburg on an IBA Pro show.
Heavyweight boxer ends 11-year layoff to send opponent tumbling into referee in brutal KO
A comeback fight against amateur standout Kuzmin (19-3) looked to be a daunting task on paper after such a lengthy period of inactivity.
During his vested years, Kuzmin won a gold medal at the European Championship, while British boxing fans will remember him for retiring David Price on his stool in 2018.
His only defeats in the paid ranks came against highly-ranked foes Michael Hunter and Martin Bakole, with both of those bouts going the distance.
Khalidov was able to go one better by taking the fight out of the hands of the judges in the seventh stanza.
Following a brutal war of attrition, Khalidov rocked Kuzmin badly with a dynamite left hook.
Sensing his moment, Khalidov closed the distance and followed up with a blistering flurry that sent his opponent tumbling into the referee before falling flat on his back.
As he hit the canvas, the fight was waved off, extending Khalidov’s perfect record to 11-0.
Speaking in the immediate aftermath, the victor called out two-time Olympic gold medallist Bakhodir Jalolov, British veteran Derek Chisora and Congolese boogeyman Martin Bakole.
“I want to fight Bakhodir Jalolov next,” said Khalidov
“If he doesn’t cling to his ‘0’ like a lifeline, he will accept this fight – and it won’t be easy for him.
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Khalidov knocked out Kuzmin in the seventh roundCredit: IBA PRO
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In victory, Khalidov improves to 11-0Credit: IBA PRO
“I also want to fight Derek [Chisora] and [Martin] Bakole.
“Guys, I am ready. You are next. I want your head!”
Bakhodir Jalolov fails to impress on the undercard
Jalolov (16-0) notched another win on the undercard against unheralded Russian Vitaly Kudukhov (7-4) in a performance that left a lot to be desired.
The Uzbek southpaw, who won gold at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, has been hailed as a world champion in waiting.
However, he visibly struggled with the physicality of Kudukhov on the inside and looked exhausted after three rounds.
In the end, his pedigree shone through as he secured a hard-fought unanimous decision win.
But his subpar display didn’t live up to the lofty expectations placed on his shoulders.
Click this link to watch a full replay of the IBA Pro Show on the talkSPORT Boxing YouTube channel.