By Dan Ambrose: IBF has ordered welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. to make a mandatory defense against Carlos Ocampo (22-0, 13 KOs) in his next fight, according to ESPN. This is not the fight that the unbeaten Spence (23-0, 20 KOs) was hoping to get. He’s interested in facing WBA/WBC welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman in a unification fight in late 2018.
By Jim Dower: Unbeaten #4 IBF welterweight contender Konstantin Ponomarev (32-0, 13 KOs) has reportedly pulled out of his IBF 147 lb. eliminator bout for this Saturday on November 11 against undefeated #3 IBF Carlos Ocampo (21-0, 12 KOs).
By Allan Fox: Konstantin Ponomarev and Carlos Oscampo will be meeting in an IBF welterweight eliminator fight to decide the challenger to IBF 147 pound champion Errol Spence Jr. (22-0, 19 KOs). This will be a really rough ask for the Ponomarev vs. Ocampo winner to be able to compete against a talent like Spence.
By Allan Fox: The International Boxing Federation has ordered an IBF 147 pound title eliminator between Konstantin Ponomarev (32-0, 13 KOs) and Carlos Ocampo (21-0, 12 KOs) to pick out the next mandatory challenger for IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. (22-0, 19 KOs), according to Dan Rafael. Spence won’t be facing the winner of the Ponomarev-Ocampo fight next, however. Spence plans on fighting in three months from now in September in a fight in Dallas, Texas.