Vincent Astrolabio and Emmanuel Rodriguez are each decided to fill the bantamweight void left behind by Naoya Inoue.
For now, they stand in one another’s method.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the IBF has ordered a vacant bantamweight title struggle between Astrolabio and Rodriguez, the sanctioning physique’s prime two contenders. Their respective groups may have till February 25 to succeed in a deal and keep away from a handbag bid listening to.
Each boxers struggle underneath the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner. Individually, the Philippines’ Astrolabio is represented by Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, whereas Rodriguez is guided by Juan Orengo’s Contemporary Productions primarily based out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The pairing is sensible in a linear sense, as Astrolabio and Rodriguez received semifinal bouts as sanctioned in an IBF four-man box-off. The New Jersey-based sanctioning physique ordered two separate eliminators whereas Inoue (24-0, 21KOs) was scheduled to face England’s Paul Buler for the undisputed bantamweight championship.
Inoue claimed Butler’s WBO title and defended the lineal, WBC, WBA and IBF titles with an eleventh-round knockout on December 13 in Tokyo. The unbeaten three-division turned the primary Asian boxer to totally unify a division within the three- or four-belt period, his main motive for remaining at bantamweight.
The undisputed reign lasted precisely one month earlier than Inoue vacated all 4 main titles on January 13.
Up to now, the WBC and IBF are the one two sanctioning our bodies to order vacant title fights.
Astrolabio (18-3, 13KOs)—via MP Promotions—sought to maintain his choices open, although he has first dibs on the IBF crown. The 25-year-old Filipino—who now lives and trains in Las Vegas—is driving a six-fight win streak, together with a resurgent 2022 marketing campaign that started with an upset win over former lineal junior featherweight king Guillermo Rigondeaux final February 26 in Dubai.
The win was adopted by a sixth-round knockout of Russia’s Nikolai Potapov final December 17, which noticed Astrolabio develop into the number-one contender within the IBF bantamweight rankings.
The bout was certainly one of two semifinal eliminators ordered by the IBF. It got here two months after Rodriguez (21-2, 13KOs; 1NC) claimed the number-two place after outpointing unbeaten Gary Antonio Russell by way of technical choice of their October 15 rematch in Brooklyn, New York.
Rodriguez beforehand held the IBF title, which he received in a Might 2018 victory over Butler. One profitable protection foilowed, a cut up choice victory over Australia’s Jason Moloney of their October 2018 World Boxing Tremendous Collection (WBSS) event. Rodriguez superior to the WBSS semifinal spherical earlier than struggling a second-round knockout loss to Inoue of their Might 2019 WBSS semifinal.
The 30-year-old Boricua is 2-1 with one No-Contest in his post-title run. The win over Russell got here greater than a yr after their August 2021 assembly led to simply 16 seconds, when a lower from a conflict of heads left Rodriguez unable to proceed.
Rodriguez’s win over Russell left him in prime place to as soon as once more problem for his previous title. It comes as his identify was talked about to presumably problem former four-division champion Nonito Donaire (42-7, 28KOs) for the vacant WBC title. As BoxingScene.com reported Tuesday morning, Donaire is forced to seek a new opponent after Moloney—throughTop Rank—deserted talks for his or her ordered title struggle.
Moloney will doubtless go the WBO route, the place Astrolabio is ranked number-two. Ought to the Astrolabio-Rodriguez struggle transfer ahead, Moloney will doubtless face Philippines’ Reymart Gaballo for the vacant WBO belt. No matter Astralabio’s choice, Rodriguez intends to stay with plans to regain the IBF title.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox