WBC World Light Flyweight Final Eliminator: No. 2 ranked Badhillo vs. No. 8 Zapata approved. Champion Panya to defend his title against undefeated 12-0 challenger Balunan.

The WBC has approved a World Light Flyweight Final Eliminator between No. 2 ranked Erick Baduillo of Mexico (17-0, 8 KOs) and No. 8 ranked Gerardo Zapata of Nicaragua (15-2-1, 5 KOs). The fight is scheduled to take place on July 11 (July 12 Japan time), at a yet-to-be-determined venue, and will be streamed by ProBox TV, according to a statement from Sampson Boxing, which represents Baduillo.

The winner of this bout will earn the right to challenge the winner of the upcoming WBC World Light Flyweight title defense between reigning champion Panya Pradabsri of Thailand (44-2, 27 KOs) and No. 37 ranked Christian Bacurnan of the Philippines (12-0, 7 KOs).

Baduillo, 29, expressed his determination, saying, “Every fighter dreams of wearing the WBC green belt around their waist. Now my time has come. I’m thankful to my promoter, All Star Promotions, and I will not waste this opportunity. I will definitely win on July 11.”

Sampson Lewkowicz, Baduillo’s representative, also commented: “I want to thank Gary Jonas of ProBox TV. He has shown a willingness to feature all aspects of boxing and has given many young fighters the opportunity to become known as the next generation of champions and stars.”

Zapata, 30, last fought on June 7 of last year (June 8 Japan time), when he challenged WBO Minimumweight World Champion Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico (12-0, 9 KOs) at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York. He was unable to threaten the champion and lost by wide unanimous decision over 12 rounds.

However, after returning to his natural light flyweight division, Zapata fought a comeback bout on March 7 (March 8 Japan time) in Managua, Nicaragua. He faced Panama’s Azael Villar (21-4-4, 15 KOs) for the vacant WBO Latin Light Flyweight title and secured a 10-round decision victory.

WBC World Light Flyweight Champion Panya Pradabsri of Thailand (44-2, 27 KOs) captured the vacant title on December 26 last year at Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, by defeating No. 1 contender Carlos Cañizales of Venezuela (27-3-1, 19 KOs) via unanimous decision after 12 rounds.

The official scores were: Zanashir Taznar (Mongolia) 116-112 and Antonio Carrillo (USA) 115-113 for Panya, with Malcolm Bulner (Australia) scoring it a draw at 114-114, resulting in a 2-0 majority decision. However, the moment Panya was announced as the winner, the crowd at Rajadamnern Stadium erupted in loud boos. The decision sparked a wave of criticism immediately after the fight, which was broadcast on YouTube Channel and ESPN.

The decision, which was harshly criticized by fans and boxing insiders around the world as the worst of 2024, drew an immediate response from WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán. He posted on his social media, stating, “I am disappointed with the judges’ performance. I intend to order an immediate review by the relevant commission.”

In response, the WBC ordered an immediate rematch. The negotiation deadline was set for February 18 (February 19 Japan time), and if no agreement was reached, the fight would go to a purse bid. Although there were reports that the rematch would likely take place in Thailand, no official confirmation has been made. More recently, some rumors from overseas have suggested that Panya might face Japan’s No. 3 ranked contender Kyosuke Takami (Teiken), who is undefeated in 9 fights (7 KOs), but this is not going to happen.

While the situation regarding Panya vs. Cañizales II remained unclear and time continued to pass without resolution, Sampson Boxing announced that Panya would instead face Balunan. Although Balunan is ranked No. 5 by the IBF and No. 12 by the WBO at minimumweight, he has never fought outside the Philippines.

The date and location of the fight have not been disclosed, but given the complications surrounding a rematch with Cañizales, it is highly likely that this bout serves as an interim step. The situation continues to warrant close attention.

The fate of the highly controversial immediate rematch between Panya Pradabsri and Carlos Cañizales remains uncertain, and it’s exciting to see how the situation will unfold!

This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.

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