Rocky Hernandez-Mark Magsayo WBC purse bid postponed – again

There remains the hope that a deal could be reached. That level of motivation was the driving force in asking for at least one more week to reach a deal.

"The parties are still discussing a commercial deal for this bout," Shaun Palmer, chief operating officer and lead counsel for Matchroom Boxing, informed the WBC in a notification obtained by BoxingScene. "We appreciate the WBC's patience on this and would jointly and respectfully request a further week extension with the hope we are able to [finalize]."

Hernandez-Magsayo was formally ordered on March 10, with the two sides given until April 6 to reach a deal. Mexico City’s Hernandez, 37-2 (32 KOs), is represented by Matchroom Boxing, while TGB Promotions’ Tom Brown took the lead in talks for Magsayo, 27-2 (18 KOs). 

A decision was made just prior to the deadline to send the matter to a purse-bid hearing. It was to have been a part of a WBC Knockout ceremony on April 8 that would have featured three purse bids. 

The other two were canceled outright. 

Talks collapsed for the WBC-ordered Dmitry Bivol-David Benavidez light-heavyweight championship and the Christian Mbilli-Diego Pacheco super-middleweight title eliminator, whereas the ordered junior-lightweight title eliminator remains in play.

The winner of the proposed Hernandez-Magsayo bout will become the mandatory challenger to the titlist O’Shaquie Foster, 23-3 (12 KOs), who is due a voluntary defense. 

Hernandez has won three straight fights since losing to Foster via a 12th-round knockout in their vacant WBC title fight in October 2023. Their memorable clash in Cancun ended in disaster for the Mexican knockout artist, who led on two scorecards before he was twice dropped and stopped with just 22 seconds remaining. In his most recent start, Hernandez outpointed his countryman Rene Tellez Giron over 12 rounds on February 28 in Gatineau, Canada. 

Magsayo also takes a three-fight win streak into the proposed bout. 

The 29 year old from Tagbilaran City, Philippines – and based in Southern California – claimed the WBC featherweight title in an upset win over Gary Russell Jnr in January 2022. His reign ended just six months later, when he was outpointed by the then-unbeaten Rey Vargas in San Antonio, Texas. 

A second consecutive points loss, this time to Brandon Figueroa in March 2023, ended Magsayo’s time at featherweight. 

Each of his past three wins have come at junior lightweight – including a second-round stoppage of Bryan Mercado in December in Long Beach, California. 

Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.