Heavyweight contender Raphael Akpejiori (12-0, 12 KOs) has continued to rise in the ranks after returning on Saturday night in Miami and scoring another knockout win, in the first round.
All 12 of his opponents have been stopped within the first two rounds.
Akpejiori, 30-years-old and standing at 6’8, would like to get himself in the ring with a big name in 2022.
The power and physical attributes of Akpejiori attracted the attention of Fury, who wanted to use him as a sparring partner to prepare for a scrapped undisputed title clash with Anthony Joshua.
If he could pick an opponent for 2022 – he would like to face top contender Dillian Whyte or even Fury for the WBC title.
Either boxer would be a serious step up in competition.
Akpejiori is not lacking any confidence and believes that he could beat either Fury or Whyte right now.
“If I was going to name a dream fight for me in the next year, I would say Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte,” Akpejiori told Sky Sports.
“Those are two guys I know I can step in the ring with and beat both of them. But my goal is to have the heavyweight belts in my hand. Once I’ve accomplished that, everything else will fall in place.”
Akpejiori’s power punching ability has made it very difficult for his handlers to secure opponents. Better known opponents overprice themselves or reject the fight due to the risk vs. reward factor.
“It’s pretty evident that when I touch people they kind of go to sleep. I’m not oblivious to that fact, but I’m not focused on that. As Anthony Joshua says, ‘The right hand can take you around the block, but a jab can take you around the world.’ That is an absolute truth in boxing,”Akpejiori said.