The Canadian professional boxer Eleider Alvarez is reportedly has decided on Wednesday not to participate in Friday’s WBC purse bid for a fight against Oleksander Gvozdyk.
The promotional rights for this fight were to be awarded to the highest bidder Friday afternoon by the WBC, with Alvarez in line for 60 percent of the winning bid.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed at same day that the organisation will review and make a ruling on the division after Alvarez canceling the fight.
“The WBC has received official notification from Alvarez in which he has withdrawn from the fight for the WBC interim title, consequently the purse bid scheduled for this Friday is now cancelled. The WBC will now take the matter back to the WBC board to review and make a ruling on the division.” Sulaiman said.
The call for tenders had become necessary since Alvarez promoter Groupe Yvon Michel (Gym) and Gvozdyk promoter Top Rank never started negotiations, not a surprise given the years of the tense business relationship between Top Rank and GYM.
WBC has recently given permission to Adonis Stevenson to face former super middleweight champion Badou Jack. According to report, Alvarez had to face Gvozdyk for the vacant title. The winner of these two fights then had to compete in principle.
The GYM president Yvon Michel and his boxer manager Stephane Lepine have since agreed that this scenario was not worth it and that was better to withdraw from the fight.
“He is the No.1 WBC contender because he has earned it in the ring and we can see no logical reasons to fight a fourth final title eliminator. His goal is to fight the champion.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian boxer Gvozdyk last fought on August where he knocked-out Craig Baker in six rounds. He is currently rated No.2 by the WBC.
Speaking to media, Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told that he’s disappointed once again but he hopes the fight will come true in the future.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed that once again a fight disappeared for Gvozdyk after being ordered. We know he is a solid fighter at the moment, we just didn’t realise we have the second coming of Bob Foster.” Moretti said.
