Oscar Collazo was forced to withdraw from his bout against Ricardo Sandoval due to a rib injury sustained in training. The two fighters were scheduled to square off in the co-feature to Floyd Schofield vs Lucas Bahdi on October 10 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
Puerto Rican Collazo (14-0, 11 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey, was set to challenge Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) of Montclair, California, for his unified WBA and WBC flyweight titles.
‘This is only a change of date, not the end of the road’
The press release Golden Boy sent out on Friday also features a statement from Collazo.
“To everyone who has been waiting for this fight, who wanted to see it happen, and who has been supporting this moment: I want to let you know, with great regret, that the fight scheduled for October 10th against Ricardo Sandoval, for the 112-pound title, cannot take place on that date due to reasons beyond our control.”
“This is a fight I wanted deeply. As a boxer, I pushed for this matchup to happen because I wanted to face this challenge and because I know how much it means to everyone who has been waiting to see it. My team and I have worked with seriousness and commitment throughout this camp, preparing to the fullest to be ready for fight day.”
“Unfortunately, in high-level professional boxing, situations beyond our control can arise. Although today we have to accept this reality, this isn’t the end. My wish, and my team’s, is that we can find a new date and that this fight can happen, as we’ve all wanted, in front of you.”
“I want to offer my sincerest apologies to Ricardo Sandoval and his team. I know he has also worked professionally, made sacrifices, and prepared throughout this camp to be ready for October 10th. I deeply respect that effort and understand the disappointment this situation may cause on his end.”
“I also want to apologize to everyone who was looking forward to this fight. I know many of you had been waiting a long time for this moment and wanted it to finally happen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support, patience, and affection you’ve shown me.”
“We will keep working. We will keep preparing. And, above all, we will keep the same determination. This is only a change of date, not the end of the road. I sincerely hope we can return to the ring against Sandoval and give everyone the fight we’ve all wanted to see happen.”
“Thank you to everyone who has been following this fight and who has believed in me throughout this process. Boxing sometimes demands patience, but the goal remains intact. When the time comes, we’ll be ready.”
- Headlining the DAZN-streamed card on October 10, live from Chicago, Austin-based Floyd Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs) of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Canada’s Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs) clash for the vacant WBA lightweight title.
The undercard bouts are expected to be announced shortly.
- In a separate press release, also on Friday, Golden Boy announced the signing of Mexico City’s featherweight Gustavo Rivera Rio (16-1, 11 KOs) and undefeated lightweight Ibran Retamozo (19-0, 14 KOs) of Colombia. Details of their promotional debut are expected to follow in due course.