Goossen Tutor Promotions has signed WBA light heavyweight beltholder Beibut Shumenov to a promotional deal, ensuring, it would seem, that the ambitious young Kazakh will be looking to make more of a name for himself on U.S. soil.
Shumenov (9-1, 6 KO) has come up the pro ranks at a very fast rate. Promoting himself, he was fighting credible gatekeepers like Donnell Wiggins within four fights, and faced former star Montell Griffin in just his sixth bout. Attempting to win a major title within 10 pro fights, Shumenov faced Gabriel Campillo in his ninth outing, losing a decision in Kazakhstan.
Golden Boy Promotions helped to stage a rematch in Las Vegas in January, which was controversially won by Shumenov. Campillo's request for an immediate rematch (with the public opinion that Campillo had earned the win) was turned down.
Shumenov does not plan to shut down KZ Event Promotions."I'm excited about this arrangement with Dan (Goossen), one of the leading promoters in boxing today," Shumenov declared. "They get a lot of television dates and have a strong stable of boxers and they always seem to maximize the opportunity for their boxers. That is all I can ask for... I will do the rest."
"Being a world champion and promoter and all the work that goes into that, especially when I'm in training for a fight, makes it very difficult for me. I need to concentrate on training, which I'll now be able to do and let Dan and his great team at Goossen Tutor handle the business outside the ring. KZ Event Productions will still be promoting shows and my brother and I will still be involved with our KZ fighters and signing new talent. I look forward to even bigger and better things working with Goossen Tutor."
Goossen Tutor already has a tentative plan for Shumenov's first fight under their banner, as it's expected that he will defend his belt against Vyacheslav Uzelkov (22-0, 14 KO) in July.