Former IBF champion in the second featherweight (up to 59 kg) Briton Joe Cordina (15-0, 9 KOs) in the process of preparing for the mandatory defense against Shavkatjon Rakhimov from Tajikistan injured his hand and underwent surgery. Since his rehabilitation is delayed, the IBF decided to deprive the champion of the belt. Cordina’s reaction: “I’m completely devastated. I worked all my life to become a world champion, and now they are depriving me of the title even without the opportunity to defend it. I feel like I’ve been robbed.”
Absolutely gutted
Worked my whole life to become a world champion and I haven’t even had the chance to defend the title
Feel like I’ve been robbed!! https://t.co/TILrvTDaAz pic.twitter.com/jVvZeAdaf3— Joe Cordina OLY (@JoeCordina_91) October 4, 2022
Incredibly unlucky (beat IBF champion Josh Warrington immediately after he lost the title, and then through no fault of his own lost the chance take the WBA World belt from Lee Wood) Mexican featherweight (up to 57.2 kg) Mauricio Lara (24-2-1, 17 KOs) will head the show in Mexico City (Mexico) – on October 22 he will fight with the Colombian middle man Jose Sanmartin (33-5-1, 21 KOs).
NEW SHOW: We’re heading back to Mexico! #LaraSanmartin pic.twitter.com/zPayq37M7H
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) October 4, 2022
Two-time contender Polish cruiser (up to 90.7 kg) Michal Cieslak (23-2, 17 KOs) can fight with Italian Luca D’Ortenzi (16-2, 4 KOs) for the EBU European champion belt in the next fight, according to
RingPolska. In the last match held, Michal won not without scandal.
17 December on XXL Arena in Nantes (France), two local top prospects will perform – super middleweight (up to 76.2 kg) Christian Mbilli (22-0, 20 KOs) and fighter of the first middle weight (up to 69.9 kg) Suleiman Sissoko (15-0, 9 KO). The names of their opponents have not yet been released.
November 12 at AGON Arena in Berlin (Germany) the local ex-world champion in the first middleweight (up to 69.9 kg) and the current No. 2 in the IBF ranking Jack Kulkay (31-4, 13 KOs) will perform. The name of his opponent is also not yet known.
The WBA sanctioned a featherweight eliminator (up to 57.2 kg) – Thomas Patrick Ward (33-0-1, 5 KOs) from Great Britain and Otabek Kholmatov (10-0, 9 KOs) from Uzbekistan should meet in a face-to-face confrontation. The parties must agree on the terms of the battle before November 4. If it comes to bidding, the prize fund will be divided equally between the fighters.
Earlier, the organization decided to keep only one champion in this weight – they sanctioned a fight between the holders of the WBA Super and WBA World titles – respectively the Mexican Leo Santa Cruz and the British Lee Wood.
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