By David Finger

There’s no such thing as a sure thing in boxing. The sport is full of “can’t miss” prospects that missed. But if there were such a thing as an insurance policy for boxing managers and promoters, being a two-time Olympic medalist from Kazakhstan would probably be it. And just two weeks after signing 2016 welterweight gold medalist Daniyar Yeleussinov, one of the hottest prospects to come out of Kazakhstan, Australia’s MJA Entertainment pulled off a second Kazakh coup. 26-year old two-time Olympic bronze medalist Ivan Dychko became the latest addition to the MJA stable, giving MJA head Mike Altamura what he believes may soon emerge as the best two punch combination in boxing. Dychko, the 6’9 heavyweight, amassed an impressive 181-18 record as an amateur and may be best remembered for his close, controversial 13-11 loss to Anthony Joshua in the 2012 London Olympics.

“Anthony Joshua motivates me, especially the thought of a rematch someday.” Dychko said of his old rival. “I believe I beat him in London, and if he defeats Klitschko and keeps gathering the heavyweight titles, it would be the ultimate fight in (the) future.”

Dychko will be trained by Derik Santos and is co-managed by Ziya Aliyev and Elvis Crespo. All three, along with Altamura, are looking at kicking off his professional career in late May in Beijing.

“I’ve been thinking about turning professional for a long time, and I am happy to sign with Mike because we have common goals for the future,” Dychko added. “I believe they can be achieved together. It’s my dream to be the unified world heavyweight champion and to hold onto the titles for a long time.”

Altamutra is equally excited about Dychko’s prospects for the future and for his professional debut in China.

“He’s a fighter I’ve followed for a long time because despite his enormous size, he’s a sharp-moving, intelligent boxer who’s light on his feet. I believe as a professional he’ll demonstrate these talents along with his sheer physicality and punching power.”

It’s arguably one of the biggest signings to come out of the Rio Olympics and one that came as a shock to many boxing insiders. Although Kazakhstan produces some of the best amateur fighters in the world, it has proven to be extremely difficult to motivate them to turn professional.

“I came back to Astana, Kazakhstan, after preliminary discussions, and expressions of interest in him turning professional,” Altamura said of his latest signing. “And upon meeting, we just connected. He fits perfectly into my promotional plans in mainland China because not only if he a larger than life figure, he’s talented, friendly, and carries himself like a true gentleman. It’s exciting as a promoter to be in the heavyweight business! I’ll look to fight him regularly and keep him developing and transitioning into the professional ranks. I feel within a couple years he’ll progress to regional title, and thereafter we’ll commence our path to a heavyweight championship. I know he is determined to avenge his controversial loss to Joshua at the 2012 Olympics. I think that’s a motivating factor. It’ll provide additional motivation for him to sacrifice and stay disciplined with his fight preparations.”