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As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum said he was interested in making a battle of former world featherweight champions, with 29-year-old Evgeny Gradovich of Russia going up against 29-year-old Nicholas Walters of Jamaica on December 12 in an HBO televised fight.
Two-time world amateur champion Matt Korobov of Russia is looking to get back in position for a world title fight in 2016. He makes his return on October 24th in Omaha against Mexican contender Jose Ovando. The card will be headlined by Terence Crawford defending his WBO junior welterweight championship against Dierry Jean.
Former four division world champion Roy Jones Jr., who two weeks ago became a Russian citizen, said he had already begun training for his next fight, which he says will be held in Moscow. He says his next fight is being planned for the early winter or late autumn, and things are being worked out Jones to fight for a world title in the cruiserweight division. He is considering three potential dates - November 28, December 2 and December 12.
As BoxingScene.com previously reported, former WBO junior welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (24-4, 17KOs) is leaving HBO and going across the street to Showtime. Provodnikov and members of his team have long complained that HBO was unable to persuade Top Rank to match any of their fighters against the 'Siberian Rocky.'
Russian promoter Andrei Ryabinsky said he will indeed take part in the ordered negotiations from the IBF, who ordered his fighter Rakhim Chakhkiev (23-1, 18KOs) to face Murat Gassiev (22-0, 16KOs) in a cruiserweight final eliminator to establish a mandatory challenger to champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez.
Doctors are predicting a long-term of rehabilitation for Russian heavyweight Denis Boytsov (36-1, 27KOs). Back on May 3rd, the fighter, who lives in Hamburg, was found unconscious in a subway tunnel in Berlin. He had severe head injuries and there is still no determined set of facts on how he ended up there and what happened.
Russian's Denis Shafikov (36-1-1, 13KOs) has a set date for his bout against Rances Barthelemy (23-0, 13KOs) of Cuba. According to Ural Boxing Promotions, who co-promote Shafikov with Top Rank, they were advised that a date of November 14th was being finalized at a venue in Las Vegas. Shafikov and Barthelemy will battle for the vacant IBF lightweight championship. The belt was vacated by Mickey Bey who refused to go forward with a bout against Shafikov.
The ordered rematch between WBA 'regular' heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev (34-2-1, 21KOs) and challenger Fres Oquendo (37-8, 24KOs) has been confirmed for October 17th in Germany, according Chagaev's promoter Timur Dugazaev. Dugazaev says the fight will head to the city of Kiel. Their first bout took place last July in Russia, with Chagaev winning a very close twelve round majority decision.
As previously reported, former heavyweight title challenger Manuel Charr (28-4, 16KOs) was shot in the abdomen on Tuesday night by an assailant in the German city of Essen. He was taken to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery for six hours. A few short weeks ago, Charr was knocked out cold by Mairis Briedis in a bout which took place in Russia. The loss made Charr fall to 3-3 in his last six fights.
27-year-old Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2KOs) of Ukraine is still being positioned to make a defense of his WBO featherweight championship in the fall. Lomachenko was initially being mentioned as a likely candidate for Top Rank's planned event in Dubai. That plan may have changed as the champion's manager, Egis Klimas, says HBO is ready to set down a televised date for Lomachenko in November - for a big fight.