Sandy Ryan will clash with Marie-Pier Houle for the vacant WBO welterweight title at the Cardiff International Arena on Saturday April 22nd, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding Australia and New Zealand). [The WBO has reversed a prior ruling by withdrawing title recognition from Jessica McCaskill after McCaskill's junior welterweight loss to Chantelle Cameron. Previously, the WBO said she McCaskill would remain champion-- see below].
Derby’s Ryan (5-1, 2 KOs) last saw action in November, outpointing Argentina’s Anahi Ester Sanchez over ten rounds. The former Team GB star, who avenged her one and only loss to former champion Erica Anabella Farias at the Sheffield Arena last summer, steps up to 147 pounds from 140 as she bids to become Britain’s latest cdhampion.
Canada’s Houle (8-0-1, 2 KOs) has yet to taste defeat since joining the pro ranks back in June 2019, contesting all but one of her nine pro fights in her homeland, and the 32-year old from Quebec is promising to inflict Ryan’s second defeat in the pros.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be challenging for a world title in my next fight,” said Ryan. “The level of opponents I’ve faced since my debut proved how serious I am about becoming a big star in this sport.
“We respect Marie-Pier for accepting the fight when many didn’t and I’m ready to become a world champion on April 22nd in Cardiff. I want to give a shout to my team, Matchroom, my trainer Clifton and my manager Paul Ready for working hard on this.”
“This fight represents the culmination of my hard work since the beginning of my career,” said Houle. “It’s a huge opportunity for me to demonstrate the strength of character and perseverance that I have acquired over the years.
“I have a lot of respect for Sandy Ryan and I’m aware that it will be a tough fight, but I thrive on challenges, and I have no intention of leaving empty-handed. I would like to thank my promoter, Groupe Yvon Michel, for his trust in me.”
“I would like to thank Matchroom for this opportunity,” said Yvon Michel. “Marie-Pier Houle is ready to deliver an epic fight against Sandy Ryan on April 22nd in Cardiff. We are proud to represent her and have full confidence in her abilities to conquer the WBO welterweight world championship. We will be there to support her every step of the way and we are convinced that she will give it her all in the ring to secure the victory.”
On the same show, Tajikistan’s Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (17-0-1, 14 KOs) defends his IBF 130-pound championship against former champion Joe Cordina (15-0, 9 KOs) of Wales... Gavin Gwynne (15-2-1, 3 KOs) and Craig Woodruff (12-6-1, 4 KOs) tangle in an all-Wales rematch for the British lightweight title following a draw last September... Zelfa Barrett (28-2, 16 KOs) faces Alex Dilmaghani (20-2-1, 7 KOs) at super featherweight... Manchester cruiserweight Jordan Thompson (14-0, 11 KOs) locks horns with Swindon’s Luke Watkins (16-2, 11 KOs)... plus there’s action for Swansea's featherweight Brandon Scott (4-0, 1 KO) and light heavyweight Sammy Lee (1-0).
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 9, 2023: Charles Muniz, Ivana Habazin’s manager, outbid Matchroom and won the right to promote the world welterweight championship fight where Habazin will challenge world champion Jessica McCaskill with all four major belts on the line. The purse bid held by the WBC was won by Muniz’s company Piranha 1 LLC, who offered $201,000 to beat Matchroom Boxing's bid of $91,000. Those were the only two bidders. Ten percent of the winning bid ($20,100) will be held as a bonus to the winner. Of the remaining amount, McCaskill will receive 70 percent, while 30 percent of the remainder will go to Habazin. The date and location of the fight, which will mark McCaskill’s fourth title defense, has yet to be determined. It will be the champion’s first fight since her ten-round loss to undefeated Chantelle Cameron for her undisputed junior welterweight championship on November 5th in Abu Dhabi. Habazin, a 33-year-old former IBF welterweight champion from Croatia, has won eight of her last 10 bouts, with the only two losses coming to world champions Cecilia Braekhus and Claressa Shields.
​FEB. 4, 2023: The road to a Jessica McCaskill vs. Ivana Habazin world welterweight championship battle has been full of twists and turns, but the pre-fight wrangling may finally be in the homestretch. After IBF and WBC purse bids were called off or postponed just days before they were scheduled, Habazin's manager Charles Muniz reports that the WBC purse bid is on track for Tuesday, February 7th. What makes this situation so unusual is that the champion, McCaskill, is coming off a loss while the challenger won her last fight. When McCaskill lost a junior welterweight bout to Chantelle Cameron, the IBF stopped recognizing McCaskill as the women's 147-pound champion but the other three major sanctioning bodies continued to recognize her. There is no clear-cut procedure to determine which sanctioning body will conduct the purse bid, but the WBC seems to have taen the lead here. The IBF title, now vacant, will go to the winner of this fight.
JAN. 27, 2023: The WBC will hold a purse bid ceremony on Monday January 30th, at noon for a fight between world welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill (pictured) against WBC mandatory contender Ivana Habazin. [The IBF had previously scheduled a purse bid for this fight but cancelled it earlier this week]. McCaskill (12-3, 5 KOs) comes into this bout after losing a decision to Chantelle Cameron in November in a junior welterweight bout in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Habazin (21-4, 7 KOs) from Croatia, in her most recent bout, defeated Australia's Diana Prazak last October.
JAN. 19, 2023: On December 20th, the IBF ordered world welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill and mandatory contender Ivana Habazin to begin negotiations to contest the vacant IBF title. The IBF vacated its women's 147-pound title because in McCaskill's last fight, she moved down to junior welterweight and lost to Chantelle Cameron. The other three major sanctioning bodies continue to recognize McCaskill as the welterweight champion, while the IBF's solution was to order McCaskill vs. Habazin to fill its vacancy. An agreement between the McCaskill and Habazin camps could not be reached within the time frame set forth by the IBF, so the IBF has scheduled a purse bid for Tuesday, January 31st.
DEC. 15, 2022: Jessica McCaskill will retain WBO recognition as the 147-pound (welterweight) champion despite her unanimous decision loss to Chantelle Cameron on November 5th in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. That fight was contested at 140 pounds (junior welterweight). McCaskill entered the Cameron fight with all four major belts. According to the sanctioning body's websites, she is also still recognized as champion by the WBC and WBA. The IBF lists its world title as vacant, with McCaskill and Ivana Habazin rated in its top two.
Three days later, the WBO issued a notice to show cause why the WBO welterweight championship should not be declared vacant considering McCaskill's defeat and the provisions set forth in the McCaskill-Cameron sanction letter.
But on Wednesday, the WBO decided that McCaskill had shown sufficient cause to retain her title. The WBO made this decision based on the following reasoning:
It is the opinion of this Committee that retaining McCaskill’s status as world champion serves the best interests of the sport, the WBO, and the female welterweight division. In support of our reasoning, we highlight that McCaskill is a former undisputed champion, which exemplifies the most significant milestone in professional boxing since the four-belt era [began].
Such accomplishment was produced against then-former undisputed champion Cecilia Braekhus, [who was] considered at the time the number one pound-for-pound female boxer. Most notably, McCaskill defeated the latter champion [after] only ten professional fights and thereafter won the rematch via unanimous decision.
Further, McCaskill is a two-division champion (140 and 147 pounds) as well as contested for the lightweight (135 pounds) championship against current undisputed champion and pound-for-pound star Katie Taylor. Her level of opposition with only 15 total fights is outstanding, facing the likes of Taylor, Cameron (undisputed junior welterweight champion), Braekhus (former undisputed welterweight champion), Erica Farias (former champion) and Anahi Ester Sanchez (former champion) among others.
Lastly, this Committee strongly supports the pursuit of undisputed champion status by all WBO champions or prospective champions. We are sure that McCaskill as the Unified WBO, WBA & IBF champion will strive to regain her status of welterweight supremacy. If we had ruled otherwise, it would deprive her of such possibilities and the championships would be fragmented. Therefore, considering that McCaskill is a former undisputed champion, it is in the best interests of the sport, the WBO and the female welterweight division that McCaskill retains her status as WBO world champion.
