Everything seems to be in place and ready for the upcoming Rivas vs. Rozicki fight. The boxers are ready to create history by facing off against each other in the first fight for the WBC World Bridgerweight Belt. This is the first time in history that this championship belt is being competed for. The WBC has recently developed the Briderweight Division. It covers the upper limit of the Cruiserweight Division of 200 to 224 pounds. The championship has been named after the brave young boy Bridger Walker. He saved his little sibling from a deadly dog attack. Bryant Jennings and Oscar Rivas were initially supposed to fight for this new belt at the Olympia Theater in Montreal, Canada. But, Bryant Jennings will no longer be a participant in that fight.
The WBC found out that Bryant could not subject himself to his home government's entry requirements regarding the coronavirus. He had also not complied with the post-arrival mandatory quarantine. But the WBC wanted to completely support the promoters of its events during the tough times of the pandemic. Also, they wanted to assist Yvon Michael to hold the event as promised. So, the WBC agreed to hold the WBC World Bridgerweight Title match between cruiserweight boxer Ryan Rozicki from Sydney and Canadian-based Colombian Oscar Rivas. Yvon Michael, the promoter of Rivas and the head of GYM Promotions, revealed that Jennings was removed from the show.
The undefeated Canadian was willing and able to comply with all the commission and government established safety regulations that the coronavirus pandemic has imposed upon fighters and promoters. The WBC wanted Rozicki to comply with all the administrative and medical regulations of the local commission and the WBC. It also wanted the boxers to abide by the laws of the nation of Canada. The show will continue for the Bridgerweight division and Oscar Rivas. Another rival in Ryan Rozicki has been secured for Rivas, and they will face each other in the inaugural WBC Bridgerweight title match. The match will happen in Montreal, Canada, at the L'Olympia in Rivas' hometown on October 22.
Jennings was not vaccinated
The plans were in motion for months for Jennings and Rivas to take part in a rematch. Both the parties showed a willingness to go for the newly developed belt. The bout was delayed by many months before settling on the date of October 22. But things started looking different when it was learned that Jennings was not vaccinated and was not ready to be in quarantine for a final couple of weeks before the opening bell. The boxer thought that doing so would hamper his ability to complete training camp properly. But Michel said that he would have got premium access to his facility. It is not a good development. This is because the fight between Jennings and Rivas was preferred by all the parties associated with the fight.
The World Boxing Council said, "We are aware that vaccines prevent people from getting seriously ill or dying from complications caused by this virus, and that is why most of us get vaccinated, specifically to prevent its spread. The greater the number of vaccinated people, the lower the contagion rate. As an organization, the WBC respects the beliefs and decisions of our fighters. However, the WBC must also respect and abide by each country's governmental laws and regulations where WBC-sanctioned events take place. While we are very sorry that Bryant Jennings is no longer one of the contenders for the world title of the newly created WBC Bridgerweight Division, our commitment to minimize the risks the pandemic presents continues. The WBC family is excited and thrilled about the prospect of crowning the first WBC World Bridgerweight Champion."
Rozicki Does Not Bring a Lot to the Table
Rozicki has a Canadian heritage and a perfect record that he will bring into the ring. But there is not much to see beyond that. The young man from Nova Scotia has won all his wins via knockouts. He had never fought after the third round before the coronavirus pandemic. In his most recent match, he went the deepest as a pro. He won against Sylvera Louis in the sixth round of the regional title bout this year in Vancouver. This was only 40 days after Rivas defeated Louis in three rounds. The upcoming match between the more experienced Rivas will be the first time Rozicki is involved in a fight above the cruiserweight limit. The heaviest Rozicki has weighed for a sanctioned pro fight was in his pro debut when he weighed in at slightly more than 200 pounds. He has come in lighter than that for more than 11 consecutive fights that came after that.
Meanwhile, Rivas went in the opposite direction before going back to the 224-pound limit of the Bridgerweight division. The veteran fighter represented Colombia in the Olympics before going back to Montreal for his pro debut nearly 12 years ago. He weighed in at 225 pounds for that. He weighed two pounds less in his next fight. This was the lightest weight of his career before he started putting on more weight. He went to a career-heaviest of more than 250 pounds a few years later. After that, he has not weighed more than 243 pounds. He was at a fighting fit weight of nearly 235 pounds for the biggest victory of his career. This was a 12-round win over Jennings a couple of years ago.
The single defeat in the career of Rivas came six months after that win. He lost in a 12-round unanimous decision against Dillian Whyte, whom he had to knockdown in the ninth round of their WBC interim heavyweight title match. Rivas weighed nearly 240 pounds in that match. This was almost 20 pounds more than the career-low of about 220 pounds for his knockout win over Louis. It was a fight that came only a few months after the official launch of the Bridgerweight division by the WBC.
Mauricio Sulaiman, the President of the WBC, said, "To continue to fully support promoters of WBC events during the still ongoing world pandemic and to help Groupe Yvon Michel to hold the event as scheduled, the WBC has agreed to sanction the WBC World Bridgerweight Title bout between Oscar Rivas and the #18 WBC-ranked Cruiserweight boxer Ryan Rozicki. Ryan is willing and able to satisfy all the governmental and commission-established safety requirements the ongoing pandemic has imposed upon promoters and fighters. The WBC requires that Rozicki complies with all the medical and administrative requirements of the WBC and the local commission, as well as the laws of the country of Canada."
Conclusion
The Rivas vs. Rozicki prediction is that the match is heavily tilted in favor of Rivas. He is a far more experienced boxer than Rozicki. Also, the Rivas vs. Rozicki prediction is such because Rozicki has won nearly all of his matches within three rounds. So, it is unclear whether he can last the whole distance. But Rozicki may prove the experts wrong and tilt the Rivas vs. Rozicki prediction in his favor.