Yamil Peralta (left) and Ryan Rozicki (proper) fought to a controversial cut up choice win in favor of Rozicki in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada – Picture by Argentina Boxing Promotions
Ryan Rozicki will maintain his date and hometown headliner.
The stakes and opponent have modified, nevertheless.
The Ring has confirmed that Noel Mikaeljan has as soon as once more withdrawn from an ordered obligatory title protection versus Rozicki. Mikaeljan (27-2, 12 knockouts) was as a consequence of defend his WBC cruiserweight title versus Rozicki on Dec. 7 at Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Nevertheless, an ongoing authorized dispute with estranged Corridor of Fame promoter Don King pressured the reigning titlist off the present.
Rozicki (20-1, 19 KOs) will as a substitute face Argentina’s Yamil Peralta (17-1, 9 KOs) in a rematch, this time for the interim WBC title.
“With Noel Mikaelin unavailable to defend his title, Ryan Rozicki will tackle Yamil Peralta in Sydney, Canada on Dec seventh,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman informed The Ring. “This combat is sanctioned for the WBC Interim World Cruiserweight Title. [It] makes for an amazing championship combat with Ryan being the number one and Yamil the quantity 2 contender.
“The winner will probably be acknowledged as a real WBC World champion.”
Rozicki gained their first combat through cut up choice, which happened at this very venue. Many took difficulty with the Could 2022 end result, because it was believed Peralta deserved the nod.
Peralta’s group instantly sought a rematch. They even filed a protest with the WBC, whose unbiased evaluate discovered grounds to acknowledge the combat as a No-Contest.
The official consequence stays a win for Rozicki, as acknowledged by the Nova Scotia Fight Sport Authority. The evening marks the lone choice victory on Rozicki’s ledger, who scored knockouts in his different 19 wins.
Nevertheless, it was additionally an affair with which he was by no means totally happy and needed to revisit.
“That is the rematch Ryan all the time needed,” Three Lions Promotions’ Daniel Otter, Rozicki’s promoter, informed The Ring. “He’s so centered and decided to be one of the best of one of the best. He will probably be victorious come Dec seventh.
“Noel ain’t preventing in opposition to Ryan so Peralta is subsequent up and Ryan will change into champion of the world. We’re assured.”
Peralta has posted 4 wins for the reason that controversial defeat to Rozicki. His most up-to-date was his finest feat thus far, a ten-round cut up choice over longtime contender Thabiso Mchunu (23-7, 13 KOs) on March 22 in Durban, South Africa.
The feat elevated Peralta excessive sufficient within the rankings to be in place to seize the subsequent obtainable title slot. It now is available in an opportunity to avenge his lone profession defeat.
As for Rozicki, it’s an opportunity to maneuver on from a combat his group believes won’t ever see the sunshine of day.
“The Noel Mikaelin difficulty has change into so repetitive we’re all glad to only transfer on,” famous Otter. “After a number of makes an attempt to get Noel within the ring, an eleventh hour deal was made earlier than the Purse bid a couple of weeks in the past.
The referenced deal was Three Lions Promotions’ newest effort to push ahead with a combat that has now suffered 5 postponements. It was beforehand due for a handbag bid listening to after combat dates in June and September had been canceled outright. An damage by Mikaeljan throughout coaching camp was cited because the trigger for the June fallout.
No motive in any respect was given for the Sept. 28 cancellation, the proper metaphor for the state of Don King Productions in 2024.
Otter and representatives for King huddled to come back to phrases to safe the Dec. 7 date in Rozicki’s hometown.
“Now Noel claims authorized woes in opposition to a 93 yr outdated man who’s rumored to be battling well being points,” Otter stated. “It’s all change into very weird.”
It has change into abundantly clear that Mikaeljan, rated No. 2 at 200 by The Ring, has little interest in going through Rozicki.
Mikaeljan has not fought since he. gained the belt in a third-round knockout of former titlist former champ Ilunga Makabu. The feat occurred final November 4 in his adopted Miami hometown. It’s now extremely doubtless that he’s relieved of his title for failure to defend.
Rozicki not less than will get to proceed together with his profession and in acquainted environment.
The principle occupants of Centre 200 are the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League. Rozicki, 29, can also be each bit the venue common. He has headlined or was prominently featured in all six boxing occasions to seem on the web site within the twenty first century.
His most up-to-date got here in a Dec. 2022 first-round knockout of Mario Aguilar (23-9, 19 KOs), one combat after his slender win over Peralta.
4 extra knockout wins have been tacked on to Rozicki’s spectacular document as he emerged because the WBC cruiserweight obligatory challenger. The a number of title combat delays have left him out of the ring since a first-round knockout of Olanrewaju Durodola (46-10, 41 KOs) final Dec. 3 in Sydney.
All informed, Rozicki has gained seven in a row since an October 2021 defeat to Oscar Rivas. Their fiercely contested battle marked the inaugural WBC Bridgerweight title combat.
Rozicki and Peralta are rated No. 8 and No. 9 at cruiserweight, respectively, by The Ring.
The silver lining within the new plans is the timing of the bout. The annual WBC Conference will start at some point later, on Dec. 8 in Hamburg, Germany. Sulaiman confirmed the WBC cruiserweight title standing among the many matters that will probably be lined throughout its week-long session.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for The Ring and vp of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.
Observe @JakeNDaBox
