Luis Nery vs Emmanuel Rodriguez off!
Everyone hoping to see two very talented bantamweights in Luis Nery (30-0, 24KOs) and Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-1,12KOs) square off will now have to wait.
The highly intriguing bantamweight battle was called off after Nery failed to make weight. The former WBC champion hit the scales at 119, one pound over the bantamweight limit. He had two hours to shed the single pound to keep the fight moving forward but was unable to.
Rodriguez was given the opportunity to accept part of Nery’s purse to proceed with the fight. However, the former IBF champion declined the offer.
Amid the known failed drug testing issues that have plagued his career, this also wouldn’t be the first time Nery had weight issues. He lost his WBC bantamweight title on the scales before he stepped in the ring to face Shinsuke Yamanaka in March 2018.
This is quite disappointing as the WBC was lining Nery up as the mandatory challenger for champion Nordine Oubaali.
For Rodriguez who’s ranked number three by the WBC, he has to be beyond frustrated as he was attempting to put behind him the first defeat of his career. As the undefeated IBF champion, he lost by brutal knockout to eventual unified champion and WBSS winner Naoya Inoue in the semi-final round of that tournament.
This cancellation takes significant luster away from the entire card, even with the destructive power punching heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder headlining.
3kingsboxing.com will continue to monitor this story for any updates on a reschedule date.
By: Jerrell Fletcher
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