Scheduled for March 18 in Dallas (USA) fight for the WBA World welterweight title (up to 66.7 kg) between belt holder Eimantas Stanyonis (14-0, 9 KOs) from Lithuania and mandatory challenger Virgil Ortiz (19-0, 19 KO) from the USA will not take place – the champion ended up in the hospital, he was operated on.
Stanionis spoke about this through social networks: “Yesterday I was urgently hospitalized and had an operation to remove my appendix. Now you have to spend 2-3 weeks without training. The fight has been rescheduled. We hope it will take place in April.”
Yesterday I had emergency appadenctomy surgery. 2-3 weeks off the gym now. Fight is postponed. We are hoping for April now. pic.twitter.com/caqKUkJlfH
— Eimantas Stanionis (@E_Stanionis) January 7, 2023
Fighter promoter Richard Schafer (Probellum) confirmed the information about the transfer: “We have already contacted golden boy. They are busy looking for an available date for the second half of April. Eimantas was sparring, preparing for the fight and suddenly felt a sharp pain. When we went to the doctor, he said that it was necessary to operate urgently. Stanionis is very disappointed.”
Ex-world champion Spanish veteran featherweight (up to 57.2 kg) Kiko Martinez (44-11-2, 31 KOs) is close to another title fight – he is a mandatory contender for the IBF title, which is owned by Mexican Luis Alberto Lopez (27-2 , 15 KOs).
Apparently, the reigning champion will first make a voluntary defense – in the first half of the year he will go to Britain to fight Irish star Michael Conlan (18-1, 9 KOs). The event is organized by promoters Frank Warren (queensberry promotions) and Bob Arum (Top Rank).
By
data No Smoke BoxingMartinez will not sit idle, but will take the fight with the top contender from the USA Raymond Ford (13-0-1, 7 KOs) – both have valid contracts with Eddie Hearn (Matchroom Boxing).
The American has no doubts about the victory over the veteran: “It’s a trifling matter. I can’t be compared to his previous rival.”
The first disappointing fight of 2023 is the fight for the IBF title in the minimum weight (up to 47.6 kg) between the champion from Mexico Daniel Vayadares (26-3-1, 15 KOs) and the challenger from Japan Ginjiro Shigeoka (8-0, 6 KOs) ) will get its continuation.
The parties very quickly agreed on revenge. Promoter Koki Kameda (KWORLD3 Promotions) suggested “a rematch be held on April 16 in Tokyo, with the winner facing mandatory challenger René Marc Cuarto immediately.”
The Waiyadares representative agreed with Kameda’s proposal. Mexican insiders reported that the Japanese have even reached an agreement with Cuarto’s promoter MP Promotions Manny Pacquiao. In return, they want a fight with the champion on their territory.
At MP Promotions there is already a title holder in this weight category, and there was an upset: we have a new world champion! And he’s from the Philippines.
