Here's your fight-size boxing update for July 3, 2020:
- After recently being hospitalized for testing positive for COVID-19, Hall of Famer Roberto Duran has been discharged from the hospital.
--Roberto 'Manos de Piedra' Duran beats coronavirus pic.twitter.com/uqvd5x1SCQ
— WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) July 2, 2020
- MTK Global and LNK Boxing are co-promoting a one-night, eight-man tournament in Riga, Latvia on July 11 with all tournament fights consisting of three rounds. The winner of the entire tournament will earn a spot on a future MTK Fight Night card. The boxers that were announced for the tournament are Emils Spiss, Marcis Grundulis, Francis Rozentals, Renaldas Dirse, Elvis Veisbergs, Rudolfs Ozols, Toms Limbens and Sergey Marchenk.
- In related MTK Global news, the company announced three MTK Fight Night shows taking place behind closed doors at LS-LIVE in Wakefield, England starting in August. Below are dates and the fighters confirmed for the shows, which will be streamed on ESPN+:
August 11:
- Jono Carroll vs. Maxi Hughes
- Sean McComb vs. Siar Ozgul
- Craig MacIntyre vs. Darren Surtees
- Sahir Iqbal vs. Maredudd Thomas: WBC Youth Welterweight title
- Pierce O’Leary vs. Harry Limburn
August 25:
- Lewis Crocker vs. Louis Greene: WBO European Welterweight title
- Lee McGregor vs. Ryan Walker
- Gary Cully vs. Kieran Gething
- Blane Hyland vs. TBA
- James McGivern vs. TBA
September 1:
- Akeem Ennis Brown vs. Philip Bowes: British and Commonwealth Junior Welterweight title
- Dan Azeez vs. Andre Sterling: English Light Heavyweight title
- Darren Tetley vs. Liam Taylor: British Welterweight title eliminator
- Padraig McCrory vs. Mickey Ellison
- Elliot Whale vs. Corey McCulloch
- WBO European Super Middleweight titleholder Patrick Rokohl has been announced for the upcoming eSports Boxing Club video game. Fightful has an exclusive article on the game which can be read here.
Please welcome ‘The Patriot’ Patrick Rokohl! The current WBO European Super Middleweight and German Light Heavyweight Champion into eSports Boxing Club! @RokohlPatrick @ringmagazine @WBCBoxing pic.twitter.com/BBGiCtbu7E
— SteelCityInteractive (@SteelCityInt) July 3, 2020
- Macedonian amateur standout Trajche Ilioski has signed a managerial pact with Tony Tolj's Dragon Fire Boxing and will make his pro debut as a welterweight.
- WBO President Francisco Valcarcel said the WBO will be considering designation for an upcoming title eliminator for the lightweight title currently being held by Vasiliy Lomachenko. Although this could mean that a mandatory challenger for the belt could be made in the future, it won't factor much into Lomachenko's immediate future as the current plan is to have him fight Teofimo Lopez in a WBA/WBO/IBF lightweight title unification. Top Rank has that fight tentatively scheduled for September.
WBO will be considering designation for the mandatory challenger in 135lbs...first 2 or 4 availables contenders could participate in an eliminations bouts @JakeNDaBox @DanRafael1 @StevESPNKim @pugboxing @LudoSaenz @Dalonsofbox @ChavaESPN
— Paco Valcárcel, Esq. (@PacoValcarcel) July 3, 2020
- According to a report from Asian Boxing, WBA minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart is likely to return to the ring in September.
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