Israil Madrimov-Eric Walker in Works For Matchroom's Aug. 15 Card
By Dan Rafael
Published On Wed Jul 22, 2020, 12:04 AM EST
While the main event of flyweight world titlist Julio Cesar Martinez against McWilliams Arroyo is off due Martinez’s recent illness, another fight is close to being finalized for Matchroom Boxing’s DAZN card on Aug. 15 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Representatives for junior middleweight up-and-comer Israil Madrimov, one of boxing’s most explosive prospects, and Eric Walker, are in the process of finalizing the bout, multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions told BoxingScene.com on Tuesday.
One potential hang-up, however, is the stakes of the fight, which could either for the WBA’s vacant interim junior middleweight world title or possible a 10-round nontitle fight, according to the sources. The WBA has yet to approve the fight, according to the sources. Jeison Rosario is the unified world titleholder and Erislandy Lara holds the organization’s “regular” world title.
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Uzbekistan’s Madrimov (5-0, 5 KOs), 25, who fights out of Indio, California, where he is trained by Joel Diaz, has moved very quickly since turning pro in November 2018 following a standout amateur career.
Madrimov is coming off an impressive sixth-round destruction of former welterweight world title challenger Charlie Navarro, whom he knocked down twice, in a title elimination bout for the No. 2 position in the WBA’s 154-pound rankings on the Mikey Garcia-Jessie Vargas undercard on Feb. 29 at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas.
The 37-year-old Walker (20-2, 9 KOs), of Plaquemine, Louisiana, has won three fights in a row since a majority five-round decision loss to Brandon Adams in May 2018. That bout was in the semifinals of “The Contender” reality series reboot. Walker is coming off a near-shutout win over Damian Ezequiel Bonelli on Dec. 7 in an eight-round bout in which Walker scored a knockdown in the seventh round.
The Aug. 15 card, which will be Matchroom’s first in the United States since the coronavirus pandemic shut down boxing in mid-March, will take place outdoors at 5th Street and South Boston Avenue in downtown Tulsa, which agreed to block off from 4th and 6th Streets at the intersection of South Boston Avenue for the card, which will take place without spectators allowed.
As of now, the original co-feature of women’s undisputed welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus (36-0, 9 KOs), of Norway, against unified junior welterweight titlist Jessica McCaskill (8-2, 3 KOs), of Chicago, who is moving up in weight, will move up to the main event position with the Martinez-Arroyo bout being called off.
If Braekhus wins, it will be her 26th consecutive title defense in a row since 2009 and would break the record she shares with the great all-time heavyweight champion Joe Louis for the most title defenses in a row for any fighter, male or female.
Some of Matchroom’s other top prospects are also scheduled to be on the card, including junior welterweight Shakhram Giyasov (9-0, 7 KOs), middleweight “White Chocolate” Nikita Ababiy (8-0, 6 KOs) and featherweight Raymond Ford (5-0, 2 KOs), along with highly touted featherweight amateur standout Marc Castro, who will be making his professional debut.
Eric Williams
Seriously?
