Bakary Samake vs. Ermal Hadribeaj | ProBox TV- May 23, 2026

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WBC 154-pound title eliminator between Samake, Hadribeaj set for May 23

A junior middleweight title eliminator to determine WBC champion Sebastian Fundora’s mandatory challenger has a new date.

Bakary Samake (19-0, 11 KOs) will face Ermal Hadribeaj (22-0-1, 8 KOs) on May 23 at Willy-Jürissen-Halle in Oberhausen, Germany.

The fight was originally supposed to take place on an April 25 show headlined by Tony Yoka and Lawrence Okolie, but the entire card was canceled four days prior when Okolie tested positive for a banned substance. With Queensberry no longer able to fulfill obligations to feature the fight, the WBC organized a purse bid April 29. Arena Box Promotions, which handles Hadribeaj, secured a purse bid of $339,817, besting a $281,800 offer from Samake’s side.

Samake is ranked No. 10 by The Ring and No. 1 in the WBC at 154 pounds. Hadribeaj is rated No. 3 by the sanctioning body.

Samake is a 22-year-old from France who turned pro in 2021 and has stopped his last three opponents. Samake last fought in October and knocked out previously unbeaten Alejandro Ortiz in five rounds.

Hadribeaj is a 32-year-old southpaw from Albania who built his record in the United States before continuing his career across Europe in recent years. He last fought at home in November and secured a shutout 10-round decision win against Placido Ramirez.

Samake and Hadribeaj are looking to secure a signature win for a shot at Fundora, who in recent weeks has been linked to a title unification bout against IBF champion Josh Kelly.

Vergil Ortiz is the WBC interim champion but has been sidelined in recent months due to a legal dispute with Golden Boy Promotions.

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[garethhop]

Wrong board?

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Fight Week!!

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Samake adjusts to change of scenery for 154-pound eliminator

Better late than never. Bakary Samake and Ermal Hadribeaj were due to fight in Paris on April 25 but will instead fight Saturday in Oberhausen, Germany.

The WBC junior middleweight eliminator had been chief support to Lawrence Okolie-Tony Yoka, but when the Brit returned an adverse finding the fight was cancelled and the rest of the show quickly followed.

“It was hard to learn about the cancellation, but not just for me, for all the boxers at the event, who, like me, had prepared for this great evening," Samake (19-0, 11 KOs) told The Ring.

"After that, I adapted quickly and trusted my team to reschedule the elimination fight, keeping in mind that what mattered was to fight no matter what, to have a shot at a world title."

The WBC acted quickly and set up a purse bid April 29. Hadribeaj's promoter, Ahmet Ohner of Arena Box Promotions, submitted $339,817, outbidding Samake Promotions’ $281,800 offer.

"My promotion didn't win the auction, but that's the nature of the bidding process, and we accept it," he said. "The main thing is that the fight is happening. What bothers me more is the French public who were eagerly awaiting this fight and who won't be able to attend it in France as planned.

"It's not ideal, that's for sure, but I'm staying focused on my own part, which is the ring. And whether I'm in Paris or elsewhere in the ring, it doesn't change anything. I know my job. It's my time, I know I am ready, I trained hard for 15 years, and I have the opportunity right now against Ermal.

"[WBC President] Mauricio [Sulaiman] told me, if I win this fight I'm going to have a chance to fight for the title, maybe at the end of this year or the beginning of next year. I cannot lose this opportunity. This is why we worked hard for many months for this opportunity."

The 22-year-old, rated No. 10 at 154 pounds by The Ring, spent five weeks in Las Vegas, where he sparred 76 rounds, many with unbeaten middleweight Aaron McKenna.

Samake believes his Albanian opponent is too one-dimension to cause him too many problems.

"I am not afraid of Hadribeaj. He is not a technical boxer. He is just an aggressive boxer," he said. "I think I have the technique and the experience in boxing.

"Ermal is a good opponent, he is very aggressive. I am very aggressive too. I am ready to fight against him. I think it's going to be a very good fight for the viewers. I do not think he can do six rounds with me knocking him out."

Hadribeaj (22-0-1, 8 KOs), a 32-year-old southpaw, has won a WBC regional title and moved his way up its rankings with eight successful defenses.

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Says via WBC website, that this will be on ProBox TV.

Will keep an eye out

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Just checked. It will be pro box tv

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Fight Night!!

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ProBoxTV provides Germany-Mexico doubleheader Saturday

ProBoxTV offers bonus content Saturday headlined by a meeting of top-10 junior-middleweight contenders in Germany and then a Mexcio card topped by unbeaten featherweight Luis “The Twist” Nunez of the Dominican Republic.

Starting at Noon Eastern time Saturday on ProBoxTV’s YouTube channel and affiliated partners, the Oberhausen, Germany card promoted by Ahmet Oener features Miami-based No. 3-ranked WBC 154lbs fighter Ermal Hadribeaj, 22-0-1 (8 KOs), vs. IBF No. 8-ranked Bakary Samake, 19-0 (11 KOs), in a WBC title eliminator.

Unbeaten light-heavyweights Badien Hasso, 22-0 (11 KOs), of Iraq and Victor Vicente Correa, 11-0 (11 KOs), of Mexico square off in an eight-round bout.

Also, Italy’s Luis Vela, 6-0 (5 KOs), meets Morocco’s Oussama Kebdaniu, 10-1 (3 KOs) ,in 140lbs action scheduled to follow six other bouts.

At 9 p.m. Eastern, from La Paz, Mexico, Sampson Boxing stages a card headlined by Velez, 23-0 (15 KOs), versus Mexico’s Carlos Pere, 19-4-1 (6 KOs), in a 10-round bout.

An eight-round co-main offers Jaimer Osuna, 10-0 (5 KOs), of La Paz versus Oliver Quintana, 23-6 (16 KOs), of Mexicali.

Two other all-Mexico hours between unbeatens is also on the slate, which will be available by ProBoxTV media partners Roku, Amazon Prime, Fubo, Xumo (Comcast), Sling, Plex and Google TV.

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When/Where: Saturday, May 23, in Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
Broadcast: ProBox TV

Time: 6 pm (local) | 4 pm BST | 12 pm ET

Fight Card

WBC International Light Heavyweight Championship
Badien Hasso vs. Victor Vicente Correa Ramos

12 Round WBC Super Welterweight Eliminator Bout
Ermal Hadribeaj vs. Bakary Samake

WBC International Super Lightweight Championship
Luis Vela vs. Oussama Kebdani

WBC Silver International Heavyweight Championship
Mourad Aliev vs. Raphael Akpejiori

WBC Silver Super Featherweight Championship
Muhamet Qamili vs. Alessangel Mayora

8 Round Heavyweight Bout
Ahmed Krnjic vs. Anrdras Csomor

6 Round Heavyweight Bout
Konstantinos Plateias vs. Yonny Molina

6 Round Super Middleweight Bout
Sarhad Nouzad vs. Robin Zamora

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HADRIBEAJ OUTPOINTS SAMAKE, WINS WBC 154-POUND FINAL ELIMINATOR

Ermal Hadribeaj's experience proved pivotal, as he outfoxed Bakary Samake over 12 grueling rounds to win their WBC junior middleweight title eliminator.

In an exhausting battle of wills, Hadribeaj (23-0-1, 8 KOs) reigned supreme against the heavy-handed, energetic but crucially inexperienced Samake (19-1, 11 KOs) to inflict the Frenchman's career-first defeat in Oberhausen, Germany.

116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 were the three judges' scorecards ringside, as a new mandatory challenger for Sebastian Fundora's WBC junior middleweight title was confirmed a month later than originally planned.

The transparency of WBC approved open scoring meant the fight still hung in the balance after eight completed rounds.

Hadribeaj was up by one on two scorecards and it was 76-76 on the other. Samake delivered plenty of intensity in the build-up, yet wasn't able to pace himself with consistency over 36 minutes and that proved his downfall.

Hadribeaj's veteran savvy saw him wilt down the stretch, sapping his energy reserves by smartly holding and hassling him at close-range to stifle his better work through combinations and infrequent bursts forward.

Having already absorbed the 22-year-old's best punches and walking forward unbothered, the Florida-based Albanian returned fire with scoring shots of his own and the pressure told down as they neared the finish line.

"I learned nothing new, just work hard, believe in it and here we are, world title baby," Hadribeaj said post-fight.

"I've been chasing a long time, coming all the way up and nobody believed, what can you say now? Here I am again, thank you Germany, to my promoter and coach, all Albanians around the world ... I can't wait to make you proud. I just want the green belt, let's go."