A fight scheduled for last weekend is now headed to the auction block.
The Ring has confirmed that the Noel Mikaeljan-Ryan Rozicki WBC cruiserweight title fight is back on purse status. The two were set to meet at a Don King Productions show on September 28 at Casino Miami Jai Alai in Miami, Florida.
No reason was given for the cancellation of the show. Either way, it was enough for King, Mikaeljan’s promoter, to be declared in default of his original agreement.
Rozicki is promoted by Daniel Otter’s Three Lions Promotions.
The fallout marked the fourth time the fight did not stick to a scheduled date. There have been issues dating back to a cut Mikaeljan (27-2, 12 knockouts) suffered in training camp, killing plans for their June 7 meeting. An agreement was made to reschedule, instead of a new opponent being sought for Rozicki.
Three delays later, the patience of Rozicki’s team was long gone.
“We are now hopeful of winning the purse and Ryan to become the WBC World Champion,” Otter told The Ring.
Mikaeljan, rated No. 2 on 200 by The Ringwould make his first title defense. The 33-year-old Armenian won the belt in a third-round knockout of former titlist former champion Ilunga Makabu last November 4 in his adopted Miami hometown.
He remains the only active titleholder on King’s current promotional roster.
Rozicki (20-1, 19 KOs) will be entering his second career title fight, either in the US or on home soil.
The 29-year-old from Ontario, Canada has won seven in a row since an October 2021 loss to Oscar Rivas. Their hotly contested battle marked the first WBC Bridgerweight title fight.
Rozicki would fight outside of Canada for the first time in his career. His team’s intention is now to keep the fight north of the border.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
