Troy Williamson is officially on the clock.
BoxingScene has confirmed that IBF officials have contacted the British contender to confirm his availability to face Osleys Iglesias for its vacant super middleweight belt. Both parties were contacted on Monday, with a three-day window to either agree to enter negotiations or inform if they are unavailable to take the fight.
Eye of the Tiger Management – which represents Iglesias, 14-0 (13 KOs) has already confirmed the Cuban knockout artist’s intention to proceed with the fight. The response has been the same for every round – immediately saying yes, regardless of the opponent.
England’s Williamson, 22-4-1 (16 KOs), entered the conversation after countryman Hamzah Sheeraz, 22-0-1 (18 KOs), declined to move forward with the process, IBF officials confirmed to BoxingScene. Sheeraz is already involved in separate negotiations with Christian Mbilli, 29-0-1 (24 KOs), and Diego Pacheco, 25-0 (18 KOs), for the vacant WBC and WBO titles, respectively.
Representatives for Williamson – and the boxer himself – have all publicly expressed interest in the opportunity. It comes one month after the biggest win of his hard-luck career, a 10th-round TKO of unbeaten Callum Simpson on December 20 in Leeds, England.
Simpson was the IBF’s No. 5 contender at the time but dropped down to No. 13 after the upset defeat. Williamson was previously unranked and is now No. 6. Sheeraz was bumped up one spot to No. 5 in the sanctioning body’s most recent ratings update.
While there is clear willingness on Williamson’s side, whether he can actually proceed with the opportunity is another matter.
BoxingScene has learned that the Williamson-Simpson fight carried an immediate rematch clause. While the IBF does not recognize such stipulations, it could legally prevent Williamson from entering any other fight.
Should that be the case, BoxingScene’s weeks-long prediction of Pavel Silyagin, 16-0-1 (7 KOs), landing the fight will come closer to fruition. The unbeaten Russian is ranked one spot below Williamson at No. 7, is presently without plans and is already on record as ready to challenge for his first major title.
That said, Silyagin’s turn cannot come until Williamson confirms his next move, one way or another, to the IBF.
To date, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Jaime Munguia and now Sheeraz have all declined to move forward with the fight with Iglesias.
Alvarez, 63-3-2 (39 KOs), the former undisputed super middleweight champion, is recovering from surgery performed last October and not available until the spring at the earliest.
Similar to Sheeraz having other options, Munguia, 45-2 (35 KOs), is also in pursuit of a separate 168lbs title. As previously reported by BoxingScene, the Tijuana native is currently in talks to next face recently upgraded WBA titlist Jose Armando Resendiz, 16-2 (11 KOs).
Iglesias – a Cuban southpaw based in Berlin – has been the mandatory challenger since an eighth-round knockout of former title challenger Vladimir Shishkin. The bout took place September 4 in Montreal – nine days before Alvarez was dethroned by Terence Crawford via unanimous decision in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Crawford, 42-0 (31 KOs), retired from the sport in December, thus relinquishing all of the titles in the process.
