📂 Categoría: Boxing | 📅 Fecha: 1783019780
🔍 En este artículo:
Tony Yoka’s luck goes from bad to worse.
Just three months after the collapse of his high-stakes clash with Lawrence Okolie, Yoka has now reportedly been forced to pull out of a WBA heavyweight title fight with Murat Gassiev.
Yoka (15-3) looked to have landed on his feet when the title shot was presented to him so soon after Okolie’s failed drug test put an end to his WBC eliminator.
The prestige of the fight was even given a boost earlier this week when Gassiev was made the primary WBA heavyweight champion following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish his unified world titles.
However, it wasn’t to be.
According to esteemed boxing journalist Dan Rafael, Yoka suffered a back injury and will not be able to make the scheduled July 11 date in the Russian capital of Moscow.
It remains to be seen whether the promoters of the event, IBA, will look to seek a new opponent for ‘Iron’ Gassiev.
Heavyweights Joe Joyce and Artem Suslenkov are set to square off on the undercard.
Either man could be considered as a short-notice replacement.
Especially Suslenkov (14-0), who currently holds a No.10 ranking with the WBA.
The 30-year-old Russian boasts an unbeaten record, but is yet to face anyone of note in the paid ranks.
He did, however, score a unanimous decision win over former cruiserweight world title challenger Michael Hunter in an IBA pro bout two years ago.
Joyce (16-4) last set foot in the ring in April 2025 when he was beaten by Filip Hrgovic on points.
‘The Juggernaut’ has lost four of his last five, with his last win coming back in March 2024 against Kash Ali.
Explaining his decision to return to the ring hours before the news broke that Yoka was out, Joyce told talkSPORT.com: “I’m fighting for legacy.
“I want to show the boxing fans all around the world what I’ve got.
“The icing on the cake would be to win a world title.
“I obviously got up the mountain before, and this is my third crack at the pie.”
While it seemed like a pipe dream at the time of the interview, Joyce could be on the cusp of a world title shot if all the cards fall into place.
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Tony Yoka’s luck goes from bad to worse.
Just three months after the collapse of his high-stakes clash with Lawrence Okolie, Yoka has now reportedly been forced to pull out of a WBA heavyweight title fight with Murat Gassiev.
Yoka (15-3) looked to have landed on his feet when the title shot was presented to him so soon after Okolie’s failed drug test put an end to his WBC eliminator.
The prestige of the fight was even given a boost earlier this week when Gassiev was made the primary WBA heavyweight champion following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish his unified world titles.
However, it wasn’t to be.
According to esteemed boxing journalist Dan Rafael, Yoka suffered a back injury and will not be able to make the scheduled July 11 date in the Russian capital of Moscow.
It remains to be seen whether the promoters of the event, IBA, will look to seek a new opponent for ‘Iron’ Gassiev.
Heavyweights Joe Joyce and Artem Suslenkov are set to square off on the undercard.
Either man could be considered as a short-notice replacement.
Especially Suslenkov (14-0), who currently holds a No.10 ranking with the WBA.
The 30-year-old Russian boasts an unbeaten record, but is yet to face anyone of note in the paid ranks.
He did, however, score a unanimous decision win over former cruiserweight world title challenger Michael Hunter in an IBA pro bout two years ago.
Joyce (16-4) last set foot in the ring in April 2025 when he was beaten by Filip Hrgovic on points.
‘The Juggernaut’ has lost four of his last five, with his last win coming back in March 2024 against Kash Ali.
Explaining his decision to return to the ring hours before the news broke that Yoka was out, Joyce told talkSPORT.com: “I’m fighting for legacy.
“I want to show the boxing fans all around the world what I’ve got.
“The icing on the cake would be to win a world title.
“I obviously got up the mountain before, and this is my third crack at the pie.”
While it seemed like a pipe dream at the time of the interview, Joyce could be on the cusp of a world title shot if all the cards fall into place.
Watch Boxing on DAZN
*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue
Sign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.
Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.
Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.
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📚 Información de la Fuente
| 📰 Publicación: | talksport.com |
| ✍️ Autor: | George Glinski |
| 📅 Fecha Original: | 2026-07-02 18:57:00 |
| 🔗 Enlace: | Ver artículo original |
Nota de transparencia: Este artículo ha sido traducido y adaptado del inglés al español para facilitar su comprensión. El contenido se mantiene fiel a la fuente original, disponible en el enlace proporcionado arriba.
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