Angelo Peña’s title fight on April 3 at the Stadttheater Bern is gaining additional weight. In addition to his WBO Intercontinental title, the IBF Intercontinental title is now also at stake. This makes the super featherweight duel against Spaniard Salvador Jiménez a title unification on an intercontinental level.
Strupler, the organizer of the fight, sees the fact that the IBF has awarded the vacant title for this fight as a strong sporting signal. “It underlines the quality of this duel and brings additional international attention. I don’t think a Swiss boxer has ever fought for two such important titles at the same time.”
This opens up a double opportunity for Peña. The Bernese is number 6 in the world rankings of the World Boxing Organization (WBO). In the International Boxing Federation (IBF), he is currently only listed in the Intercontinental ranking. Peña could make decisive progress in two world rankings at the same time with a victory.
Movement at the top of the world
The situation at the top of the world rankings in Peña’s weight class is also exciting. Emanuel Navarrete holds both the WBO and IBF world titles. Navarrete is possibly aiming for another unification with a fight against WBC world champion O’Shaquie Foster, who, like him, is under contract with US promoter Top Rank. The mandatory defense imposed by the WBO against top-ranked Charly Suárez stands in the way of this. Navarrete could also move up to the next weight class. Before winning the super featherweight title, the Mexican was already world champion at super bantamweight and featherweight.
Strategic step for Peña’s career
The additional title fight therefore comes at the right time for Peña. “Angelo is getting impatient, he really wants to box abroad this year,” says Peña’s promoter Leander Strupler. “Despite many talks, he has yet to receive a concrete offer from abroad. I want to significantly improve his chances again with this title. It’s a big investment on my part in his career.”
For Peña, this means that on April 3 it’s not just about successfully defending his title, but also about taking an important step towards the top of the world rankings. Two belts. Two rankings. And a great opportunity to position himself even better in the international title race. Peña formulates his goal for this year briefly and clearly: “A spectacular victory in the City Theater and then a fight in the USA.”
Text: Press release / Swiss Boxing