MOSCOW, January 23 (R-Sport) – The teams of World Boxing Association cruiserweight regular champion Russian Denis Lebedev and champion-in-recess Panamanian Guillermo Jones have finally agreed that their much-anticipated rematch in Russia will happen in April.
Negotiations between Lebedev’s representative Vlad Hrunov and Don King have been happening since the October, when the Panamanian was disqualified and the title given to the Russian boxer.
The agreement, announced on the WBA’s website, means that a purse bid scheduled for January 27 will not be required. The purse and the exact date will be disclosed at a news conference next week.
Jones stopped Lebedev on a technical knockout in Moscow in May to claim the belt, but the WBA handed the title back to Lebedev when Jones failed a drug test. Jones was made WBA champion-in-recess on the condition that he must fight Lebedev again. King won rights to the first fight with his bid of $712,000.
Lebedev has 25 wins and two defeats from 27 fights, including the loss to Jones in May, while the Panamanian is 39-3 with two draws.
