Bruce Carrington is expected to defend his WBC featherweight title against Rene Palacios in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 4. The contest is yet to be officially announced, with ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez reporting the fight on social media, citing a source.
Meanwhile, Top Rank has scheduled a “special announcement” press conference for Tuesday at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The list of participants includes Carrington, along with WBO lightweight champion Abdullah Mason and his four brothers, collectively known as the Mason Brothers, and U.S. Olympian and welterweight contender Delante “Tiger” Johnson.
Also in attendance are Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb and Top Rank Vice President of Boxing Operations Carl Moretti.
- Brooklyn’s 29-year-old Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) claimed the vacant title by ninth-round knockout of Carlos Castro on the Lopez vs Stevenson undercard in January.
- Mexico’s 25-year-old Palacios (19-0-1, 10 KOs) is coming off a split decision victory over Sulaiman Segawa, also in January.
- 22-year-old southpaw Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) of Bedford, Ohio, earned his belt last November on the undercard of Benavidez vs Yarde, defeating Sam Noakes by unanimous decision.
- 27-year-old Cleveland native Johnson (17-0, 8 KOs) was last in action in November, stopping Nicklaus Flaz in the fourth round.
Event details, including ticket information and opponents for Mason and Johnson, are expected to be announced at the press conference.