Listen Now:
by Hans Olson
We’re just a few days away from one of the most important fights in the stacked Welterweight division, a highly anticipated rematch between Turkey’s Selcuk Aydin (22-0) and Canada’s Jo Jo Dan (29-1). Jo Jo Dan, originally born in Romania, left for Turkey on Saturday, arriving in the city of Trabzon over 17 hours later.
“It was a long trip, but smooth all the way! No delays, got here safely,” said Jo Jo’s promoter, Chris Ganescu of Gankor Promotions. “Jo Jo started his training on Monday morning at a local boxing gym where Aydin did his amateur days…he recovered well from the jet lag!”
Saturday night in Trabzon, Jo Jo Dan will enter the ring to avenge the only loss of his career, his 2010 disappointment against the hard hitting Aydin; a fight in his mind (and the minds of many) that he convincingly won. The controversy surrounding the first fight was so great that the WBC eventually ordered the rematch.
The time is almost here.
Aydin, who holds the WBC Silver Welterweight Championship, is rated #2 by the WBC; Jo Jo Dan rated #5. The winner of Saturday’s contest will become the mandatory challenger to Floyd Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight Championship.
Although Selcuk Aydin will certainly have his hometown fans on his side, Jo Jo and team are used to fighting on the road, and aren’t concerned. In fact, from what Ganescu told Boxing Insider, they’re having a great time in Turkey thus-far. “We have good accommodations and food, we feel right at home! Turkish people are good hosts! There’s a big buzz about the fight, posters of the fight all over the city! They expect a sell out of 7,500!”
Tomorrow, Team Jo Jo Dan will take in some of the local sporting flair.
“Tuesday, it’s a big soccer match in town: the local team Trabzonspor plays the mighty Inter Milan in an official game for the Campions League Cup! 50,000 people will attend and Team Jo Jo Dan will be there. We will get used to the big crowds!”
With a roaring crowd, thoughts of his fight on Saturday night will unquestionably enter Jo Jo’s mind. It’s something he’s waited a long time for.
“Jo Jo said today after the 2nd training session that he will not let this chance slip away. He feels strong and he can’t wait to have the small gloves on Saturday! Enough hitting with the cushioned gloves. Time to hurt someone!”
Ganescu continued.
“I expect a war on Saturday! Neither Jo Jo or Aydin can afford to look bad in this rematch. Both had full preparations, they know each other, and both will have something to prove! The Turkish version of the promo has a headline that says it all: BIG PAYOFF!”
The big payoff, is 5 days away.
Boxing Insider’s Hans Olson can be reached at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @hansolson.
