The WBA has finally sanctioned a fight for its “super” version of the world heavyweight title between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko – weeks after their dithering led to the collapse of a bout between them in Manchester on 10 December.
The highly anticipated showdown will probably take place outdoors in the UK next summer.
Joshua, meanwhile, will defend his IBF belt against the 34-year-old American Eric Molina on the December date at the MEN Arena in a fight Sky is marketing as pay-per-view. It will be a tough sell.
Klitschko, who has not fought since losing his various titles to Tyson Fury a year ago, is largely responsible for negotiations breaking down for a Joshua match-up, as he insisted on the involvement of the WBA, even though he is no longer its champion. The WBA compounded the wrangling by responding with frustrating slowness.
The Ukrainian veteran was subsequently injured while training for an alternative bout, which scuppered all deals, forcing Joshua to accept the only option left, a defence against Molina, who brings neither much of a name or reputation.
Nevertheless, the prospect of a Klitschko fight is bound to keep Joshua focused against Molina.
“It’s been an arduous wait to gain official approval,” Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said on Wednesday, “but we were delighted to receive the news that the WBA will officially sanction the fight for the ‘super’ title.
“We will now move forward with Bernd Boente [Klitschko’s promoter] and Team Klitschko in planning the date and venue knowing that victory against Molina in Manchester is more important than ever.”
In justifying the Molina card as pay-per-view, Hearn’s Matchroom team have put together some attractive supporting fights, chief among them Dillian Whyte’s defence of his British heavyweight title against Dereck Chisora.
There is also the return of Scott Quigg, who has not boxed since breaking his jaw in his tight points loss to Carl Frampton, but he has moved up to featherweight – so a rematch with Frampton becomes trickier. No opponent has been named for the Bury fighter.
The unbeaten Birmingham super-flyweight Khalid Yafai challenges the two-weight champion Luis Concepción for his WBA title and there are second outings for two of Hearn’s prize signings, the former Irish amateur star Katie Taylor and the unbeaten Cuban heavyweight Luiz Ortiz. Taylor makes her professional debut at Wembley on 26 November, and Ortiz fights Malik Scott in Monte Carlo on 12 November.
Hosea Burton defends his British light-heavyweight title against Frank Buglioni – which should not be dull.
However, there will be intense debate about the viability of this show as pay-per-view. Sky is understandably keen to see a dividend on its investment in boxing and that has no doubt driven the decision.
It is not a situation entirely of Hearn’s making, as he had earlier lined up better alternatives for Joshua if the Klitschko fight failed to materialise, chief among them the IBF mandatory challenger Joseph Parker, an unbeaten New Zealander of ambition and no little power.
Parker’s negotiations in the meantime have led him elsewhere, although he is now enduring his own frustrations as plans for him to meet the American Andy Ruiz in his homeland on 10 December for the WBO title vacated by Fury have hit financial problems. The fight will probably be moved to the United States, where Ruiz’s promoter, Bob Arum, would take over the show.
Parker’s backers were this week still trying to persuade the New Zealand government to lend financial support to the promotion, but that looked unlikely.
