English boxing. A decisive hook for Villeneuve's Samir Ziani

On the road to a world title, the Villeneuve champion must first emerge victorious from the Franco-French super featherweight clash this Saturday, July 5, in Clichy, where there will be much more than a WBC Silver belt at stake.

It's the fight of the year in the super featherweight (-59 kg) category! A highly anticipated Franco-French fratricidal duel that looks like a career booster. At almost 35 years old (on July 19), Samir Ziani has no time to waste. After fifteen years as a pro, the Little Prince from Villeneuve (1m68) boasts a very solid record in 40 fights: 36 wins and 1 draw for 3 losses. Four-time French champion, three-time European champion and multiple international belts, only a world champion title is missing from his already impressive list of achievements.

Samir Ziani has been eagerly awaiting a chance at world championships for over two years. This Saturday, July 5th, at the Clichy Hall in the Paris suburbs, against 29-year-old boxer Khalil El Hadri from Les Mureaux, should not only allow him to win a new title with the WBC Silver belt, but also to move closer to his Grail. "If I win, only great doors can open behind it," confirms the Villeneuve native, who could then join the world's top 5 in his category in the most prestigious federation.

This duel between the two best super featherweights in France – broadcast on Punchtime TV – should therefore propel one of the two boxers into another dimension. Like Samir Ziani, Khalil El Hadri (20 wins for 3 losses) was the EBU European champion in 2023 and wants to dream bigger. The native of Les Mureaux, number 9 in the WBC world rankings, will have home advantage in a city where the Villeneuve native suffered his first defeat in 2013 against Samir Kasmi. Twelve fights later, Samir Ziani is undefeated since 2016 and has won 16 consecutive matches.

“Boxing is won first outside the ring and the remaining 50% in the ring.”

Khalil El Hadri's streak ended at 7 wins in a row, broken on March 28 in Italy against former IBO world champion Michael Magnesi, who stole his WBC Silver belt. Not one to be beaten on points, the man nicknamed "EKH" is determined to reclaim the title already vacated by the Italian. So there will be knockouts in the air this Saturday at Clichy Hall, between two boxers who will fight for the number 1 spot in the category in France with the hope of then setting out to conquer the world.

A huge PSG fan, could Khalil El Hadri be disturbed by his favorite club's Club World Cup quarter-final, which will take place a few hours earlier against Bayern Munich? The fact remains that exactly 434 days after his last fight in Marseille against OM supporter Jordan Rodriguez, for the WBC Silver International belt, Samir Ziani has a lot at stake this Saturday. At this stage of his career, he clearly has no room for error. But he promises: "I'm a go-getter. When I set myself a challenge, I see it through."

Facing a boxer who has won four world titles in 2024, the Villeneuve native knows what awaits him. He prepared for "a big fight" with his trainer Mohamed Bennama in the Blagnac Boxing Club gym. But after reuniting with his Irish manager Gary Hyde, he also knows that this fight organized by Malamine Koné – Airness's boss and the promoter of his professional debut – is a real springboard: "Boxing is first won outside the ring and the remaining 50% in the ring. Boxing is a thankless sport; talent isn't the only thing that counts."