Photos : Vincent Ethier – Moreno Fendero (text photo) and Imam Khataev (cover photo).
With now over twenty boxers, the Eye of the Tiger team is growing rapidly. In 2023 alone, the Quebec public has had the chance to discover talent from here and elsewhere, such as Wilkens Mathieu, Mehmet Unal, Jhon Orobio, and more recently, Moreno Fendero and Imam Khataev. To describe these new recruits, the head of the Montreal stable doesn’t mince words.
“We’ve brought in real killers,” says Camille Estephan, looking ahead to the November 14th gala, where Fendero (1-0) and Khataev (4-0) will make their second appearance under the tiger banner.
Fresh out of the French national team, Fendero made his professional debut last September in Gatineau. As for Khataev, the Russian boxer now residing in Australia arrived in Montreal in October for his fourth fight, in a fourth country, where he secured his fourth knockout victory.
A true machine
Let’s start with Khataev, as at 29 years old and with around 300 amateur fights under his belt, he seems determined not to waste any time. “It might go fast, very fast for him. We want to give him two adaptation fights [in October and November], and then move on to more serious things, like facing world-class opponents fairly quickly,” explains EOTTM’s head trainer and development director, Marc Ramsay.
How to describe the boxer? Some compare him to Artur Beterbiev, while others use heavy machinery analogies: Camille Estephan called him a “steamroller,” Nicolas Martineau opted for ‘bulldozer.’ In any case, it speaks volumes. In fact, one of the few things that speaks louder is hearing the main man himself, a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, talk about it.
“Even in the amateur circuit, people said my style was meant for the pros, and now that I’m here, they say I’ll knock everyone out,” shares the fighter who has so far lived up to this promise entirely.
A true soldier
When Moreno Fendero speaks in public, he’s calm, reserved. He’s a quiet force that actually conceals a force of nature. His trainer, Marc Ramsay, compared him to a “left-handed Christian Mbilli,” but Mbilli himself elevates the praise even further. “Many say, ‘yeah, yeah, yeah, he’s like you.’ Yes, he resembles me a lot in terms of style, but he’s got something better than me: the punch,” praises the fighter who boasts 21 knockouts in 25 fights.
If his punching power impresses his teammate, his physical strength equally impresses his opponents. No wonder he was once nicknamed the “Bull of Bangui.” Transitioning into the paid ranks, the 24-year-old athlete decided to change to ‘The Soldier,’ a name the bronze medalist at the amateur world championships didn’t choose for appearance’s sake.
“I am ‘1st Class’ Fendero, assigned to the champions’ army, godfather of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment,” explains the military athlete who enlisted four years ago. Discipline? Here it is, and in the years to come, we’ll likely see it translate in the ring into something you’ve rarely seen before. Like all boxers, Moreno Fendero is a soldier of the ring, but unlike many, he’s a soldier of life.
The 10 count
On November 14th, for their second respective fights with the tigers, both recruits delivered. Moreno Fendero first opened the show by winning in the second round against Cristian Lopez Lozano, marking his first career knockout. Imam Khataev, on the other hand, continued to do what he does best: “knocking everyone out,” adding another victory by knockout in the second round against Fernando Galvan.
Continuing their respective momentum, they’ll both be back on January 13th in Quebec, facing what seems to be their biggest career tests. Fendero (2-0, 1 KO) will face “Corbe” Victor Hugo Flores (7-2, 3 KO), while Khataev (5-0, 5 KO) will clash with Texan Rodolfo Gomez Jr (14-7-3, 10 KO). The latter currently sits more than 100 ranks higher than Khataev on BoxRec. Marc Ramsay is keeping his promise to “go fast, very fast” with the Russian-born boxer, as the fight will be for the NABF light heavyweight title and could propel him into the world rankings in his sixth professional fight.
