This Thursday’s Matchroom/OPI Since 82 show in Milan has lost one of its biggest names. European lightweight champion Francesco Patera is out of his main event slot against Devis Boschiero with COVID, bumping the original co-feature between Gamal Yafai and Luca Rigoldi into the spotlight.
Boschiero will stay on the card against Samuel Gonzalez.
Belgium’s Patera (23-3, 8 KO) is 5-0 since an unsuccessful rematch against Edis Tatli, notably beating Lewis Ritson by shouldn’t-have-been-split decision to claim the EBU title in 2018. This fight was supposed to crown the WBC “silver” lightweight champion; that sometimes signifies a mandatory challenger, but considering Patera’s ranked 12th and Boschiero’s not in the top 15, it likely would have been more symbolic than anything else.
The show still features destructive IBF super featherweight champion Maiva Hamadouche and European super lightweight titlist Sandor Martin. Rigoldi will be defending his European super bantamweight championship against Yafai, winner of three straight since falling to Gavin McDonnell.