The effort to line up an IBF mandatory challenger for the Saul \u2018Canelo\u2019 Alvarez-William Scull winner continues to hit roadblocks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
BoxingScene has learned that the super middleweight elimination process is currently suspended after the latest rulings were challenged by representatives for Vladimir Shishkin and Kevin Lele Sadjo. An appeal filed by Salita Promotions\u2014representing Shishkin\u2014and a protest submitted by Y12 Boxing on behalf of Sadjo has created a logjam at the sanctioning body\u2019s top contender level.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The other side was not nearly as accommodating. Y12 Boxing was reluctant to return to the negotiating table with EOTTM given their recent history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two parties were due to meet in a previously ordered title eliminator between Sadjo, 24-0 (21 KOs), and EOTTM-promoted Christian Mbilli, 28-0 (23 KOs). Y12 Boxing won a January 30 purse bid for the matchup and planned to stage the bout on May 8 in Paris.<\/p>\n
EOTTM\u2019s Camille Estephan contended that the bid was secured under false terms, since the bout was required to take place no later than 90 days from the hearing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mbilli was pulled from the fight as a result and opted to go the WBC route. However, he remains without an opponent, per BoxingScene\u2019s breaking news report on Monday<\/a> that Matchroom Boxing withdrew Diego Pacheco, 23-0 (18 KOs), from consideration for the ordered interim title fight on the eve of a scheduled purse bid hearing.<\/p>\n The same fate now awaits Iglesias, 13-0 (12 KOs), at least for now. Sadjo\u2019s team responded to the IBF, but not with its approval to enter talks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Quite the opposite, in fact.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have submitted a protest,\u201d Y12\u2019s Yohan Zaoui informed BoxingScene. \u201cSince Camille Estephan withdrew M\u2019Billi after I won the purse bid, citing a lack of financial guarantees (while I included evidence of his public statements in the media and on his own social media accounts), the same conditions will apply if I win the purse bid for Lele Sadjo vs Iglesias.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis ruling is therefore clearly unfair to me, and I am logically requesting that the IBF appoint another opponent.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Sadjo and Iglesias were identified as the IBF\u2019s two leading available contenders based on a previous ruling involving Shishkin, 16-1 (10 KOs), the sanctioning body\u2019s current number-two challenger to the title held by Scull, 23-0 (9 KOs).\u00a0<\/p>\n Shishkin has written confirmation from the sanctioning body that he is due a second title shot by no later than August 17. The winner between the May 3 Alvarez-Scull full super middleweight unification bout is required to enter talks with Shishkin and Salita Promotions by June 17.<\/p>\n However, there is legitimate concern on the part of Shishkin\u2014a Russian boxer based in Florida\u2014and his team that no such fight will materialize. It was widely reported\u2014and all but confirmed by Riyadh Season head Turki Alalshikh\u2014that an Alvarez win will lead to a September superfight with four-division champ Terence \u201cBud\u201d Crawford, 41-0 (31 KOs), in Las Vegas.\u00a0<\/p>\n At best, Shishkin would then fight for a vacant title; at worst, he would be left even longer on the sidelines. The 33-year-old contender has not fought since a controversial defeat to Scull in their vacant IBF super middleweight title fight last October 19 in Falkansee, Germany.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shishkin\u2019s team was unsuccessful in its appeal for an immediate rematch, but granted a consolation prize in a promised title shot later this year. The same ruling permitted Scull\u2014a Cuban export based in Germany\u2014to enter a voluntary title defense, which will come in his bid against Alvarez, the current lineal, WBA, WBC and WBO champ.\u00a0<\/p>\n Given that, Salita Promotions has now filed an appeal to the IBF\u2019s previous ruling, which came ahead of Y12\u2019s protest of the current elimination steps.\u00a0<\/p>\n None of the other sanctioning bodies have revealed any plans to enforce a super middleweight mandatory in the coming months. Mbilli is the number-one contender with the WBA and WBC. Pacheco holds the top slot with the WBO.<\/p>\n Former IBF super middleweight titlist Caleb Plant is the WBA \u2018Regular\u2019 beltholder. He is due to defend the secondary title against Jose Armando Resendiz atop a May 31 Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Prime Video show from Las Vegas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n