Madrimov defeated Soro in December 2021. Photograph courtesy of Matchroom Boxing
Israil Madrimov and Magomed Kurbanov have been denied the chance to take part within the grand arrivals ceremony on Monday.
The excellent news is that they’re nonetheless afforded the prospect to enter the ring this weekend.
The Ring has confirmed that Uzbekistan’s Madrimov was medically cleared to proceed along with his 154-pound showdown versus Russia’s Kurbanov. The 2 will meet presumably with the vacant WBA title at stake on the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou heavyweight conflict this Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Madrimov (9-0-1, 6 knockouts) was compelled to attend out the outcomes of a second MRI examination. The Ring was beforehand knowledgeable that the primary take a look at offered a minor abnormality, which prompted a follow-up take a look at. Madrimov, The Ring’s No. 6 154-pound contender, was formally authorized by the British Boxing Board of Management (BBBofC) as match to struggle.
The BBBofC serves because the presiding fee for this weekend’s present in Riyadh.
Uzbek journalist Jalol Akhmedov was the primary to report on Tuesday morning that the bout will proceed as deliberate.
The WBA has but to publicly verify that its 154-pound title can be at stake for the scheduled 12-round contest. It was broadly reported that Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 was downgraded to ‘Champion in Recess.’ A number of inquiries by The Ring was met with a response on Monday from WBA president Gilbertico Mendoza, who would solely verify that the sanctioning physique was drafting a decision on the matter.
Charlo stays The Ring champion at 154, however was beforehand relieved of his WBC, IBF and WBO titles.
Representatives for Madrimov filed a petition with the WBA to implement his overdue necessary title shot. The transfer positioned on maintain his beforehand agreed struggle versus Kurbanov (25-0, 13 KOs). It proved to be a sensible resolution, because it has doubtless freed up the title for this weekend.
The delay in a ultimate resolution on the second medical examination was sufficient to pressure occasion handlers to omit any point out of Madrimov-Kurbanov throughout Monday’s grand arrivals ceremony. The pair of unbeaten contenders have been the one fighters among the many ten-fight card to not take part within the occasion which formally kicked off struggle week.
With affirmation of the complete WBA title in play, Madrimov-Kurbanov is the second title struggle to grace this Friday’s DAZN/PPV.com Pay-Per-View occasion (1:00 p.m. ET, $69.99 USD).
The occasion’s different sanctioning physique title struggle pits a pair of high ten Ring featherweights. WBC featherweight beltholder Rey Vargas (36-1, 22 KOs), No. 3 at 126, defends versus England’s Nick Ball (19-0, 11 KOs), No. 10 on the weight.
The present additionally options three of the highest 5 Ring-ranked heavyweights on this planet. China’s Zhilei ‘Large Bang’ Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs), No. 3 at heavyweight, will defend his interim WBO heavyweight title versus former full WBO titlist and No. 4-ranked Joseph Parker (34-3, 23 KOs).
Headlining the occasion, England’s Joshua (27-3, 24KOs), No. 2 at heavyweight, meets former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou (0-1 in boxing) in a ten-round professional boxing contest.
Joshua fights for the fourth time in eleven months, all since his back-to-back defeats to The Ring champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs). Their Sept. 2021 assembly ended his second unified WBA/IBF/WBO title reign. Joshua additionally misplaced to Usyk of their Aug. 2022 rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou’s lone professional struggle kicked off ‘Riyadh Season’ and practically produced one of many greatest upsets in boxing historical past. The 37-year-old Cameroon native dropped WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs), No. 1 at heavyweight, within the third spherical of their Oct. 28 assembly in Riyadh. Fury went on to win by way of cut up resolution; his WBC title was not at stake of their ten-round contest.
Jake Donovan a senior author for The Ring and vp of the Boxing Author Affiliation of America.
Observe @JakeNDaBox
