Wasserman Boxing announced that the IBF middleweight title eliminator between Denis Radovan and Andrei Mikhailovich has been postponed off the December 16th scheduled date. however. A muscle injury to Germany’s Radovan means he won’t be fit for the final eliminator which was due to act as the co-main event on December 16th. Radovan knew victory in Sunderland would land him a shot at two-belt champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, but injury means the unbeaten 31-year-old must now wait to secure his chance. The main event for the Sunderland, England show will see a new opponent for local hero Josh Kelly, who will now face Colombia's Placido Ramirez (24-3 with 1 NC) when he returns home to fight, live on DAZN.
‘Pretty Boy’ was due to face the dangerous Roarke Knapp but injury has forced the South African out of their junior middlweight showdown at the Beacon of Light. In his place comes Ramirez, the big-punching 29-year-old who heads to Wearside next week knowing that he can catapult himself into world title contention by wrecking Kelly’s homecoming party. Kelly will be fighting in Sunderland for the first time as a professional and knows Ramirez represents a major threat to his big plans for 2024, which include a world title tilt and a fight at the Stadium of Light.
Also added to the event is British boxing’s exciting Tom Welland. The 19-year old announced himself to the paid ranks with a fourth-round stoppage win on his debut in Brighton last month. And Welland joins Newcastle’s Dan Toward, fresh from his stunning debut knockout triumph in Bolton on Friday night, as Wasserman Boxing showcases two of the country’s brightest young hopefuls on DAZN.
Hard-hitting Kazak Tursynbay Kulakhmet, a former World Amateur Championships medalist, is another top-level addition to the card, which is delivered in association with William Hill, and he joins local boxers Ben Marksby, Harvey Lambert and Travis Waters as well as Romanian Andrei Dascalu
Kalle Sauerland, Global Head of Boxing at Wasserman Boxing, said: “Out goes one dangerous opponent, and in comes another, for Josh Kelly’s huge homecoming show on December 16th. The threat posed to Josh’s plans for next year remains high with Ramirez, who comes to the UK next week, with 17 knockouts on his record, nothing to lose and everything to gain. But Josh is the one of this country’s best fighters and the change of opponent has not changed his laser-focus on delivering a performance for his Sunderland fans to be proud of, but one that also sends out a statement of intent for next year. Make no mistake, 2024 is gearing up to be Josh Kelly’s year and a big win on December 16th, on DAZN, sets that up perfectly.”
