The eagerly anticipated rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will take place on December 21, headlining a stacked card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Their first encounter back in May delivered a compelling 12-round spectacle, with Oleksandr Usyk edging a split decision after scoring a ninth-round standing count.
The Ukrainian, in truth, came remarkably close to stopping his opponent down the stretch, only for Tyson Fury to showcase his incredible powers of recovery.
In the end, however, it was Usyk who ultimately claimed all the jewelry, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
- Read More [Oleksandr Usyk taunts Tyson Fury in hilarious social media post ahead of heavyweight rematch]
Denys Berinchyk vs Sam Noakes will not appear on Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury undercard
As well as the mouthwatering main-event, boxing fans can look forward to several intriguing matchups on the undercard of Usyk vs Fury 2.
The super welterweight clash between Israil Madrimov and Serhii Bohachuk, for instance, can only deliver fireworks, with both fighters coming off strong performances against Terence Crawford and Vergil Ortiz Jr respectively.
Another 50-50 dustup – between super bantamweight contenders Dennis McCann and Peter McGrail – has also captured the imagination of fans, while heavyweight prospects Moses Itauma and Johnny Fisher, too, will of course be back in action.
And yet, trusted boxing insider Michael Benson announced yesterday that Denys Berinchyk would defend his WBO world lightweight strap against Sam Noakes on the same card.
But sure enough, the news was too good to be true, as Benson has now confirmed on X that European champion Noakes will face Ryan Walsh on December 7 instead.
- Read More [Dillian Whyte explains why Tyson Fury ‘needs to be very careful’ in Oleksandr Uysk rematch]
Will Denys Berinchyk defend his WBO lightweight title against Keyshawn Davis?
While the announcement was ultimately incorrect, it is nonetheless interesting that a potential matchup between Berinchyk and Noakes has been spoken about.
Berinchyk claimed his vacant trinket after edging a split decision against formidable Mexican Emanuel Navarrete earlier this year.
Since then, the Ukrainian has been mooted as a potential opponent for rising star Keyshawn Davis, who comes off an emphatic second-round stoppage over Gustavo Lemos.
But now, with Noakes’ name seemingly getting thrown into the mix, it appears that Davis’ route towards his first title shot is perhaps not so straightforward after all.