Rozicki close to WBC title shot

By Vincent Morin

Nova Scotia's Ryan Rozicki (19-1, 18 KOs) will face Nigeria's Olanrewaju Durodola (43-9, 40 KOs) in an eliminator fight for the WBC light heavyweight (200 lbs) world title on Saturday in Sydney, New -Scotland.

If he wins in this face-to-face scheduled for 12 rounds or less, the dangerous puncher nicknamed “The Bruiser” will become a mandatory challenger to the current WBC light heavyweight world champion, Armenian Norair Mikaeljan (27-2, 12 KOs).

On the undercard, the Quebecer Kenny Chery (4-7-1, 2 KO) will face the Nova Scotian Brett Beaton (4-1, 3 KO) in a duel of six attacks, while the Algerian Olympian now domiciled in Saint-Hyacinthe, Reda Benbaziz (2-0, 1 KO), will cross gloves with the Mexican Ramiro Garcia Lopez (5-6, 4 KO) in a clash of four rounds.

Three other clashes are also on the menu. They will pit the Ontarian John Michael Bianco (6-0, 3 KO) against the Mexican Bryam Galvez (5-2-2, 2 KO), the Ontarian Jennifer Williams (3-0, 0 KO) against the Mexican Diana Tapia Castro (6-1, 2 KOs), as well as Mexicans Pedro Bernal Rodriguez (12-1-2, 4 KOs) and Mario Victorino Vera (7-6, 2 KOs).

Brandon Cook in action

Ontario super welterweight Brandon Cook (25-2, 17 KO) will also be in action this week in Pickering, Ontario. His opponent for the occasion will be the Mexican Luis Vidales Gutierrez (24-9, 10 KO).

On the undercard, middleweight Sukhdeep Singh Bhatti (16-0, 6 KOs) will face German Yaser Yuksel (15-6-1, 5 KOs), heavyweight Ricardo Brown (9-0, 9 KOs) ) will face the Hungarian Jozsef Darmos (14-6-3, 10 KO), the middleweight Kemahl Russell (15-1, 13 KO) will face the Mexican Rafael Amarillas Ortiz (16-5-1, 9 KO), while Melinda Watpool (4-0, 2 KOs) and Natasha Spence (8-3-2, 6 KOs) will fight in a duel between Ontario pugilists.

As a curtain raiser, mid-flyweight Evan Gillard (5-0-1, 1 KO) will have as a rival the Mexican Sergio Manzo Rebolledo (4-3, 1 KO).