Joe Joyce has been bypassed for a shot at the full WBA heavyweight title after uproar over his lack of ranking and recent form. The fighter ultimately handed the opportunity is also unranked by the sanctioning body.
German heavyweight Peter Kadiru will challenge Murat Gassiev at VTB Arena in Moscow on July 11 after Tony Yoka withdrew with a back injury.
Kadiru steps in at short notice for a shot at the full WBA heavyweight championship despite sitting outside the sanctioning body’s top fifteen.
The decision comes only days after World Boxing News revealed Joyce was being discussed as a possible replacement for Yoka.
At the time, WBN questioned how Joyce could possibly be sanctioned for a world title fight after losing his last two bouts and going more than two years without a victory.
Joyce has rightly not been given the nod.
The problem is that Kadiru’s selection raises almost exactly the same rankings question.
Peter Kadiru Gets WBA Heavyweight Title Shot
Kadiru is 23-1 with 13 knockouts and defeated Senad Gashi on points in May.
The 29-year-old is ranked 29th by the WBC but does not currently feature in the WBA heavyweight top fifteen.
Despite that, Kadiru will challenge Gassiev for the full world championship five days after Yoka’s withdrawal forced organizers to find a new opponent.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to travel to Russia and challenge for the WBA Heavyweight World Title on July 11,” Kadiru said.
“This is my moment. My team and I are locked in and Moscow should get ready for a big performance.”
Gassiev welcomed the replacement after preparing to face Yoka.
“I was fully prepared and ready for Tony Yoka, but boxing is unpredictable and champions must adapt,” Gassiev said.
“Peter Kadiru is a big, strong, experienced fighter with a solid amateur pedigree and real power. Fighting at home in Moscow in front of my Russian fans for my first defense is special.
“I will be ready on July 11 and I intend to keep the WBA World Heavyweight Title in Russia.”
There is no suggestion Kadiru has done anything wrong by accepting the opportunity. Any heavyweight offered a world title shot would be expected to take it.
The question is why a fighter outside the WBA top fifteen is eligible to challenge for the organization’s full heavyweight championship.
WBA Rankings Question Remains
Joyce was already scheduled to face unbeaten WBA-ranked contender Artem Suslenkov on the same Moscow card when his name entered the replacement discussion.
The former interim WBO champion has lost back-to-back fights against Derek Chisora and Filip Hrgovic and has not won since March 2024.
WBN argued there was no justification for handing Joyce an immediate world title shot without first beating Suslenkov.
Joyce was ultimately overlooked, but the rankings issue has not disappeared with him.
Kadiru may be in better form, having won nine consecutive fights since his only professional defeat, but nothing in the WBA’s current rankings explains why he has jumped straight into a full world title fight.
That leaves the same basic question hanging over the title fight.
If Gassiev needs an opponent at short notice to save the Moscow main event, Kadiru is available and willing to travel. Let them fight.
However, based on the WBA’s published rankings, it is difficult to see why the full heavyweight championship needs to be attached to the contest.
That is a credibility problem for the sanctioning body, particularly so soon after Yoka was announced for the title fight before later appearing at number fourteen in the WBA rankings.
Like Yoka before him, Kadiru will probably now magically appear in the WBA rankings before the weekend and tidy up the issue after his world title shot has already been announced.
Gassiev vs Kadiru can still save the main event. Based on the WBA’s own published rankings, the far safer decision for the organization’s credibility would have been to make it a non-title fight.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
