AGON Sports have announced that on Saturday, July 1st we are going to see whether Vincenzo “Il Capo” Gualtieri from Wuppertal or the Brazilian silver medallist of the 2012 Olympic Games, Esquiva Falcao, will succeed Gennadiy Golovkin as middleweight world champion.
Gualtieri, who is unbeaten in 21 bouts, aims to open a new chapter in German boxing history, as there has not been any German to strap on the middleweight world title belt since Felix Sturm (2013-2014).
In addition to the main event, Etinosa Oliha from Team AGON will challenge Chilean Julio Alamos for the vacant IBO Intercontinental belt in the middleweight division.
The two boxers will collide for the vacant IBF middleweight title, which Golovkin vacated after being ordered to make a mandatory defense against Falcao.
After Golovkin vacated, the IBF ordered Falcao and Michael Zerafa to fight for the title. Gualtieri entered the mix after Zerafa withdrew from his position.
After both sides were unable to reach a deal, the bout went to a purse bid – with AGON Sports submitting $410,000 to edge out Top Rank’s $375,000, as the other bid on behalf of Brazil’s Falcao.
Falcao and Gualtieri are entitled to $205,000 each, an even 50/50 split as the two highest ranked available contenders.
Falcao (30-0, 20KOs) became the mandatory challenger following a technical decision win over Patrice Volny in their November 2021 title eliminator between unbeaten contenders. He’s has fought just once since then, a ten-round shutout victory over Cristian Fabian Rios last May 29 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Gualtieri (20-0-1, 7KOs), 30 and from Wuppertal, Germany, has never fought outside his home country. Gualtieri has been the twelve-round distance in each of his last five starts, including a points win over Vincenzo Bevilacqua in his most recent start last September 10 in his Wuppertal hometown.