Boxing’s tiniest division is about for its largest struggle ever.
The Ring has confirmed that Oscar Collazo and Thammanoon Niyomtrong have agreed to phrases for a strawweight unification bout. The pair of unbeaten titlists will meet on Nov. 16 as a part of the Riyadh Season ‘Latino Night time’ present in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For the primary time within the division’s historical past, The Ring championship can be at stake. Puerto Rico’s Collazo (10-0, 7 KOs) is the No. 1-rated strawweight, whereas Thailand’s Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs)—identified to the cool children as Knockout CP Freshmart—is No. 2 at 105. The Ring belt was not in circulation when Mexico’s Ricardo Lopez final held divisional championship lineage through the Nineties.
From an alphabet sense, Collazo, 27, will threat his WBO belt for the fourth time. Niyomtrong, 33, places his WBA crown at stake for the thirteenth time as the game’s longest reigning titlist.
A number of sources knowledgeable The Ring that each side labored feverishly prior to now couple of weeks to succeed in a deal. It got here after Collazo was already introduced to defend his title versus Mexico’s Edwin ‘Canito’ Hernandez (13-2-1, 4 KOs).
Nevertheless, Golden Boy was adamant about having at the very least one Ring championship at stake for its first full-fledged Riyadh Season card. It was at that time when representatives for Collazo and Niyomtrong huddled as much as discuss store.
The Ring has realized {that a} conditional a part of the matchup is that the winner should subsequent face Hernandez.
Collazo-Niyomtrong marks the division’s first true 1-versus-2 pairing since Lopez’s two fights with Nicaragua’s Rosendo Alvarez. In truth, it would come 26 years nearly to the day of their memorable Nov. 1998 rematch, received by Lopez.
The 2 fought to a technical draw earlier that yr. It was the one blemish in Lopez’s Corridor of Fame-honored profession. He received their second struggle through cut up choice to unify the WBC and WBA titles.
It was the final lineal championship struggle on the weight, as Lopez moved up and received a title at junior flyweight one yr later.
Collazo was two months shy of his second birthday on the time of Lopez-Alvarez II. Niyomtrong was all of eight years previous.
The bout would be the third of the yr for Collazo. It’s two fights shy of the 5 that may have allowed him to gather promoter Oscar De La Hoya’s large bonus. That is nicely well worth the wait, although.
The Puerto Rican southpaw went all twelve rounds in a June 7 unanimous choice win over Gerardo Zapata. It snapped a four-fight knockout streak, together with his Could 2023 seventh-round stoppage of Melvin Jerusalem to win the title.
Jerusalem (22-3, 12 KOs), No 4 at 105 by The Ring, rebounded to say the WBC title earlier this yr.
Niyomtrong ended a layoff of greater than two years together with his most up-to-date title protection.
His eight-year reign was prolonged after a twelve-round win over then-unbeaten Alex Winwood (4-1, 2 KOs) in Mount Claremont, Australia.
Niyomtrong upgraded to WBA ‘Tremendous’ strawweight beltholder with a win over Byron Rojas of their June 2016 title consolidation bout. Amongst his twelve profitable defenses, Niyomytrong outpointed Rojas of their Nov. 2018 rematch.
The bout versus Collazo will mark his second straight on the highway after spending the vast majority of his profession at dwelling in Thailand. Collazo fights exterior of The Americas for the primary time in his four-year profession.
With this struggle, there can be a mixed 4 RING championships at stake for the ultimate three Riyadh Season reveals of the yr.
