Arena Box Promotions has secured the rights to stage the WBC final eliminator at 147 pounds between unbeaten contenders Bakary Samake (19-0) and Ermal Hadribeaj (22-0-1), following a purse bid process ordered after the bout was pulled from its original date.
The winning bid of $339,817 outpointed an offer of $281,800 from Samake’s side, handing control of the event to Arena Box, a company led by Ahmet Öner, who also serves as Hadribeaj’s manager an added layer to the promotional dynamics heading into the fight.
The matchup had initially been scheduled for April 25 in Paris, as part of the undercard to the Tony Yoka vs. Lawrence Okolie event. Those plans fell through when the entire card was scrapped after Okolie returned a positive test for a banned substance, forcing the WBC to reopen the process and send the fight to purse bids.
Now back on track, the bout will determine the next mandatory challenger in the WBC’s welterweight rankings, placing the winner in line for a shot at the full title in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions.
Samake, the current WBC Silver titleholder, has built his unbeaten record largely in France and enters as one of the more closely watched rising names in the European scene. Hadribeaj, meanwhile, has quietly compiled an undefeated résumé of his own and steps into his highest profile opportunity to date.
An official date and venue have yet to be confirmed, though German outlet boxen1.com has suggested May 24 in Oberhausen as a potential landing spot for the fight.
Carlos Linares is a rising star bilingual sports journalist, based in Florida, USA; specializing in boxing and baseball. Contributor to Miami Herald, Boxing Scene and Brunch Boxing, Carlos is also the creator of the popular podcast La Hora del Boxeo and the sports website Allin1Deportes. His work combines expert analysis, coverage of live fights and exclusive interviews, consolidating him as a recognized voice in sports journalism.
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