Viktor Postol Wins WBC Junior Welterweight Title Eliminator
While most of the top fighters at 140 pounds is busy competing in the World Boxing Super Series, former world champion Viktor Postol did his part to get back in title contention.
In the co-main event bout of the April 27 Showtime-televised card from Las Vegas, Postol defeated Mohammed Mimoume by unanimous decision to win a WBC junior welterweight title eliminator. Postol won with scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 to become the new mandatory challenger to Jose Ramirez’s WBC title. The fight concludes a months-long wait to have a new mandatory challenger for the title.
Ramirez had other potential mandatory challengers last year, interim champion Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor, but both men entered the World Boxing Super Series for an opportunity to walk home with two of the four major world titles. With both men in the tournament, the WBC had to put together a new title eliminator with Mimoune and Postol being ranked in the WBC’s top four.
In the opening bout of the televised portion of the card, heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba continued his destructive start by beating MIchael Wallisch in less than two rounds. Ajagba dropped Wallisch in the second round, but after Wallisch got back up, Ajagba continued to punch away at his opponent until the referee stopped the action. Ajagba, who represented Nigeria in the 2016 Olympics, now improves his pro record to 10-0.
The Showtime card was headlined by the WBA “Regular” lightweight title fight between Robert Easter Jr. and Rances Barthelemy. That fight ended in a split draw, which meant the title remained vacant.
