Eddie Hearn reveals that Roman-Doheny unification will feature on massive card
TJ Doheny [21(15)-0] super bantamweight world title unification looks set to take place on a major card.
The IBF champion has agreed to face WBA beltholder and new Matchroom stablemate Danny Roman and common promoter Eddie Hearn intends for the fight to feature on a blockbuster bill as one of potentially three title fights.
Roman-Doheny is being targeted as a co-feature with a rematch of the Fight of the Year Contender between WBC super fly champion Srisaket Sor Rungvasai and Juan Francisco Estrada.
Thailand’s Srisaket had a link-up with Matchroom announced yesterday and Hearn wants his first fight to be a repeat of the Estrada war.
The Essex fight boss told iFL TV that “we’re looking at April 6th for that fight [Srisaket v Estrada], it’s going to be on the same card as the Danny Roman v TJ Doheny unification, possibly Jessie Vargas as well, maybe [WBA super fly champion, Kal] Yafai in a unification.”
“It’s not confirmed but that’s one of the targets we’re working on, it’s a big card.”
Doheny’s deal with Matchroom was confirmed, quite shockingly, earlier this month and he would make a quick-fire first defence of his title at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. ‘The Power’ would dominate and stop Japan’s Ryohei Takahashi in a voluntary defence and spoke to Roman [26(10)-2(0)-1] in the ring immediately afterwards
Following the Portlaoise puncher’s New York win two weeks ago, Hearn would say of the Roman-Doheny bout that “I think it will be LA in April.” U.S. boxing journalist Steve Kim would then report that April 6th would be the date
To facilitate the fight, Hearn has requested a special exemption for Roman to delay his pending mandatory defence versus Murodjon Akhmadaliev [5(4)-0] – the 2015 World Championships final opponent of Mick Conlan.
Doheny’s IBF mandatory will be the victor of the February 16th eliminator between Cesar Juarez and Ryosuke Iwasa – whom the Irishman dethroned in Tokyo last August.
The 32-year-old is currently back in his adopted hometown of Sydney but will return to camp in Boston under coach Hector Bermudez soon to prepare for the Roman clash.
