Adrien Broner may very well be again on the hunt for a brand new opponent.
BoxingScene.com has realized {that a} contractual battle could depart Hank Lundy unable to problem for the previous four-division titlist. Lundy agreed to exchange an unavailable Ivan Redkach, with the brand new battle confirmed to headline a February 25 BLK Prime Pay-Per-View occasion from Gateway Park Area within the School Park part of Atlanta, Georgia.
The announcement made earlier within the week by BLK Prime got here as Philadelphia’s Lundy (31-12-1, 14KOs) was scheduled to face unbeaten Ernesto Mercado (8-0, 8KOs) on February 4 at LumColor’s Phoenix Theater in Ontario, California. The bout settlement in place is—for now—binding sufficient for the California State Athletic Fee to put the 39-year-old veteran gatekeeper below indefinite suspension, which may have an effect on his capability to battle in another state below the Affiliation of Boxing Commissions (ABC) jurisdiction.
As beforehand reported by BoxingScene.com, Redkach was faraway from the battle earlier this week. The Ukrainian welterweight—who now lives and trains in California—took to social media to air out his grievances with promoter Joe DeGuardia, whom Redkach accused of blocking his probability to battle Broner (34-4-1, 24KOs).
On the promotional facet, there’s concern {that a} deal was reached between BLK Prime—whose representatives weren’t obtainable for remark—and Redkach’s fast crew with out DeGuardia’s involvement. Efforts to resolve that matter has led to a sequence of public outbursts by a clearly pissed off Redkach, who has not fought since an April 2021 sixth-round stoppage loss to Regis Prograis.
Exercise has not been a difficulty for Lundy, who fought simply six weeks in the past. It was in a shedding effort, dropping a ten-round determination to Shinard Bunch final December 9 in Newtown Township, Pennsylvania. The defeat was Lundy’s fourth in a row, although nonetheless carrying the fame of a minimum of a stiff problem for younger fighters on the rise and growing older former champs on the rebound.
Cincinnati’s Broner final fought in February 2021, when he claimed a twelve-round, unanimous determination win over Jovanie Santiago in Uncasville, Connecticut. That bout was his first since a loss to Manny Pacquiao of their January 2019 secondary welterweight title battle, which offered roughly 400,000 items atop a Showtime Pay-Per-View telecast.
The February 25 present will mark the primary of a profitable three-fight deal between Broner and BLK Prime, which was formally introduced final October 25.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox