The WBC ordered 4 eliminator fights: in the heavyweight, lightweight, second featherweight and bantamweight divisions. At stake for everyone is the right to challenge full-fledged championship titles.
The most intriguing potential fight is in 61.2 kg between No. 2 in the rating of the organization American Ryan Garcia (22-0, 18 KOs) and No. 4 Isaac Cruz (23-2-1, 16 KOs) from Mexico.
In the eliminator, the 1st and 3rd numbers of the WBC Ukrainian Vasily Lomachenko and Russian Zaur Abdullaev will not be able to perform. The reason is the criminal invasion of the Russian army into the territory of Ukraine. Lomachenko helps to defend the country’s independence in a fight with the occupier, and Abdullaev is unavailable, since earlier the organization decided to remove the fighters from the Russian Federation until the war is stopped.
The winner of the Garcia vs Cruz bout will fight the undisputed division champion, which will be determined on June 5 in Melbourne (Australia) in the confrontation between George Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney.
Other eliminators:
– in 59 kg between O’Shaky Foster (19-2, 11 KOs) from the USA and Eduardo Ramirez (26-2-3, 12 KOs) from Mexico for the right to fight with the unified division champion American Shakur Stevenson (18-0, 9 KO);
– in 90.7 kg between Noel Gevor (26-2, 11 KOs) from Armenia/Germany and Tabiso Mchunu (23-6, 13 KOs) from South Africa for the right to fight with the champion from DRC Ilunga Makabu (29-2, 25 KOs) ). The title attempt was missed by the Russian Alexei Papin (the same reason as Abdullaev);
– in 53.5 kg between Nawafon Kaikanha (53-1-1, 43 KOs) from Thailand and Jason Moloney (23-2, 18 KOs) from Australia for the right to fight the winner of the unification rematch between Nonito Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs) from the Philippines and Naoei Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) from Japan.
Garcia missed almost all of 2021, but has already resumed his performances – he defeated a certain Emmanuel Tagoe from Ghana. Our coverage of this event: Ryan Garcia. First space.
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