
Three Fall Matchroom USA Cards on DAZN in Works; Jacobs, Haney, Chocolatito
While Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn formally announced a slate of fall fights that will take place in the United Kingdom, including the Alexander Povetkin-Dillian Whyte heavyweight rematch on Nov. 21, the schedule for his Matchroom Boxing USA remains a work in progress.
However, multiple sources told Boxing Scene that there are three cards in the works that would stream on DAZN -- one in October and two in November -- as follow-ups to the one card Matchroom USA has put on since boxing returned during the coronavirus pandemic.
The next card is penciled in for Nov. 7 at a site to be determined. Lightweight titlist Devin Haney (24-0, 15 KOs), coming off a shoulder injury that he suffered in a one-sided decision win over Alfredo Santiago in his first defense last November, is expected to fight either former unified featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa (30-3, 18 KOs), a Cuba native fighting out of Miami, or reigning featherweight titlist Gary Russell Jr. (31-1, 18 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Maryland, who would move up to weight classes for the fight.
Last week, Hearn said one of them would be Haney’s next opponent.
“Nov. 7 is the targeted date for his return and the two main targets are Gary Russell Jr. and Yuriorkis Gamboa,” Hearn said. “Both are great fights for Devin as he approaches a key stretch in his career to become standout star. Devin is ready to defend his WBC title against all comers and I can’t wait to see him back in the ring in November.”
According to sources, the card is also due to include heavyweight up-and-comer Filip Hrgovic against Rydell Booker (26-3, 13 KOs), 39, of Detroit, an experienced veteran who went the 10-round distance in a decision loss to contender Kubrat Pulev in his most recent fight last November. Hrgovic, a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist for Croatia, first has to get past journeyman Ondrej Pala (33-5, 23 KOs) on Sept. 26 in Denmark.
Three of Matchroom’s top prospects are also expected to appear on the card: 20-year-old Toledo, Ohio, lightweight Otha Jones III (5-0, 2 KOs); Staten Island, New York, welterweight Reshat Mati (7-0, 5 KOs); and junior welterweight Artur “The Chechen Wolf” Biyarslanov (6-0, 5 KOs).
