Fabio Turchi meets Nikolajs Grisunins on a Matchroom card on Oct. 23 as they fight for the IBF international cruiserweight title.
The belt is currently vacant, giving the Turchi the opportunity to put right a defeat in his last bout which cost him the WBC international cruiserweight title.
The event will take place behind closed doors in the Allianz Cloud Arena in Lombardia, Italy, as Matchroom returns to hold events in the country.
Turchi (17-1, 3 KOs) knows all about his opponent this Friday, having trained with him in the past.
Speaking to Firenze, he said, “When I was part of the Italian national team, Grisunins was part of the Milano Thunder team that participated in the World Series of Boxing and I had the opportunity to see him fight, to know him personally and to train with him.
“We also did sparring. He is the classic Eastern [European] boxer, very good technically.”
However, Turchi claimed that his opponent's blows, “weren’t very powerful, but [his fists] moved well and they were fast.
“He is left-handed, but this will not be a problem for me as I have trained with several left-handed boxers. I know how to beat Grisunins.”
Turchi will have home advantage, and he has not boxed outside of Italy since 2017 when he beat Demetrius Banks. His last fight was against Tommy McCarthy in October last year, when he was defeated while contesting his WBC international cruiser title.
Latvian fighter Grisunins ((12-1-1, 5 KOs) is nine years older than his 27-year-old rival, and his sole defeat came back in 2018 when he lost on points to Craig Kennedy in Wales.
In his last fight, way back in November 2019, he met Dzemal Bosnjak in Latvia for the then-vacant IBA intercontinental cruiserweight title. Friday’s event is a chance for him to add another belt to his list of honours.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn talked up the chance to bring a fight to Italy after the enforced coronavirus break.
“After what will be nearly a year of no events in Italy due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, I’m delighted that we are returning on October 23 with our partners at OPI Since 82,” said Hearn.
“We were building great momentum with packed out shows since our launch event in November 2018, and I can’t wait to welcome fans back into the arena when it is safe to do so. Watch all of the action live and on demand on DAZN!”
Here’s a complete guide to the Turchi vs. Grisunins card.
Fabio Turchi vs. Nikolajs Grisunins fight date, start time
- Date: Friday, Oct. 23
- Time: 6:30 p.m. CEST, 12:30 p.m. ET
The Turchi-Grisunins card will begin at 6:30 p.m. CEST/12:30 p.m. ET.
Turch vs. Grisunins TV channel, live stream
- DAZN
The Turchi vs. Grisunins fight is available on DAZN in the U.S. and other DAZN countries: Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Brazil, Canada and Japan.
DAZN can be streamed on a variety of platforms, including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Playstation 3, as well as Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari browsers via DAZN.com.
Pricing options for DAZN vary globally. For current subscribers, the fight is already included as part of your plan.
Click here to sign up or learn more about DAZN in your region.
Where is the Turchi vs. Grisunins fight?
The Turchi vs. Grisunins fight takes place at the Allianz Cloud Arena in Lombardia, Italy.
Fabio Turchi record and bio
- Nationality: Italian
- Born: July 24, 1993
- Height: 6’2”
- Reach: 70”
- Total fights: 18
- Record: 17-1 with 13 knockouts
Nikolajs Grisunins record and bio
- Nationality: Latvian
- Born: Aug. 11, 1984
- Height: 6’2.5”
- Reach: N/A
- Total fights: 14
- Record: 12-1-1 with 5 knockouts
Fabio Turchi vs. Nikolajs Grisunins fight card
- Fabio Turchi vs. Nikolajs Grisunins; Cruiserweights
- Maxim Prodan vs. Nicola Cristofori; Welterweights
- Dario Morello vs. Andrea Scarpa; Welterweights