European featherweight champion Cristobal Lorente, 20-0-2 (8 KOs), is set to defend his title against mandatory challenger Nathaniel Collins, 17-0 (8 KOs), in October with Queensberry Promotions poised to stage.
This bout has long been in the offing after it went to purse bids in February. However, plans to showcase it in the champion’s home city of Barcelona, Spain, were scuppered when Collins instead took on Scottish countryman Lee McGregor, winning in four rounds, in May.
Lorente, a target of Michael Conlan in the past, then defended against Ruben Gil only for the 12-rounder to end in a majority draw on July 5.
In other EBU news, the proposed heavyweight bout – for the European ‘silver’ bauble – between Germany’s Granit Shala and Denmark’s Kem Ljungquist has been canned after it emerged that Shala holds the WBA European strap.
The EBU does not rate European ‘champions’ from other organizations.
