Top Rank requesting Gvozdyk become Kovalev’s WBO mandatory
Posted: 04 Dec 2017, 04:22
The World Boxing Organization revealed on Sunday that Top Rank has requested that #1 WBO Oleksandr Gvozdyk (14-0, 12 KOs) to be made the mandatory challenger to new WBO World light heavyweight champion Sergey ‘The Krusher’ Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 KOs).
Kovalev is scheduled to be making his first defense of his WBO title in early 2018 on March 3 against an opponent still to be determined at Madison Square Garden in New York. Kovalev mentioned wanting to fight Sullivan Barrera for that title defense. If it’s not Barrera that Kovalev faces, it’ll likely be one of the lower ranked contenders in the WBO’s rankings. Kovalev says he wants to fight a unification match, but that’s not expected to take place in his next fight in March.
Gvozdyk’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank e-mailed the WBO to ask them to make the 30-year-old Gvozdyk the mandatory for Kovalev.
In some ways, it’s a bit surprising that Top Rank is making this move, as Gvozdyk and Kovalev are supposed to be friends. But it looks like Gvozdyk’s promoter at Top Rank see this as a great opportunity for him to fight for a world title instead of waiting his entire career for a title shot against WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis ‘Superman’ Stevenson to give him a title shot.
Kovalev is scheduled to be making his first defense of his WBO title in early 2018 on March 3 against an opponent still to be determined at Madison Square Garden in New York. Kovalev mentioned wanting to fight Sullivan Barrera for that title defense. If it’s not Barrera that Kovalev faces, it’ll likely be one of the lower ranked contenders in the WBO’s rankings. Kovalev says he wants to fight a unification match, but that’s not expected to take place in his next fight in March.
Gvozdyk’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank e-mailed the WBO to ask them to make the 30-year-old Gvozdyk the mandatory for Kovalev.
In some ways, it’s a bit surprising that Top Rank is making this move, as Gvozdyk and Kovalev are supposed to be friends. But it looks like Gvozdyk’s promoter at Top Rank see this as a great opportunity for him to fight for a world title instead of waiting his entire career for a title shot against WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis ‘Superman’ Stevenson to give him a title shot.