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Miss anything Wednesday? Catch up!
Top Stories
Kazuto Ioka became the first male four-division titleholder in Japanese boxing history on Wednesday, stopping Aston Palicte in the 10th round to win the vacant WBO super flyweight title. Ioka has now won belts at 105, 108, 112, and 115. Making the first male distinction because Ioka keeps being called the first four-division champ ever from Japan, but Naoko Fujioka has won titles in five divisions.
Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua are expected to finalize and announce a rematch next week, with Eddie Hearn saying the fight will take place between November 14 and December 16. Pretty much all the important stuff is in the rematch clause that Ruiz signed. The big thing is basically whether or not it will be in the UK or back at Madison Square Garden.
Vasiliy Lomachenko’s next fight is getting mildly more interesting. With Top Rank pulling some fancy moves, WBA/WBO lightweight titleholder Lomachenko was granted a shot at the vacant WBC title against WBC mandatory challenger Luke Campbell. It’s been expected this would take place in the UK, but with ESPN, Top Rank’s partner, getting the fight, not DAZN, who work with Matchroom, Campbell’s promoter. But the fight may be headed to purse bid, and Eddie Hearn thinks if that happens, the fight will wind up in the US. They have until Friday to make a deal.
Quick Hits
- We previewed a couple fights coming this weekend: Malignaggi-Lobov in bare knuckle, which a few of you felt the need to say you don’t care about, and Cancio-Machado II, which is a good proper boxing fight you’re just quietly not caring about, like most fights that happen. Machado says a lot of issues outside the ring, not just making weight, had a lot to do with his upset loss to Cancio in February.
- The WBC has made it clear that Sunday’s fight on FOX between Guillermo Rigondeaux and Julio Ceja is a final eliminator at 122. Rey Vargas currently holds the WBC super bantamweight title, and will defend on July 13 against Tomoki Kameda.
- Junior welterweight Tyrone McKenna returns on Friday against Darragh Foley in an ESPN+ fight from Belfast, and is looking to show his skills at home in Ulster Hall.