PRESS RELEASE: Dino Duva, promoter of undefeated heavyweight Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter, is calling on boxing’s sanctioning bodies to make the winner of Saturday’s fight between Peter and Taurus “The Bull” Sykes (at the Events Center in Reno, Nevada and televised live on ShowtimeChampionship Boxing) the mandatory number-one contender to their world titles.

 

“The winner of this fight,” explains Duva “will hold the NABF, NABA and USBA heavyweight championships, the secondary belts for three of the main bodies. If that’s not grounds for being made number one by all of them, I don’t know what is.”

 

Duva claims he isn’t just clamoring to improve his own fighter’s position in the rankings (Peter, 23-0, is currently rated #4 WBC, #5 IBF and #5 WBO). “We’re not taking Taurus Sykes for granted, in fact; we’re looking for a great fight on Saturday. He’s only got one loss (Sykes is 23-1) and he’s had some very impressive victories. Whoever wins this fight should legitimately be called the number one contender in the world. Who else deserves it more?”

 

Duva says the winner should be properly rewarded for doing something uncommon for today’s heavyweight division – fighting. “The one thing the top heavyweights are not doing is agreeing to fight anybody. Sykes and Peter should be given the credit they deserve for putting their records and ratings on the line to see who is better while the other guys are all running and hiding, both legally and publicly. It’s a joke. Everybody is talking, but nobody is making fights…except for these two guys.”

 

The 12-round Samuel Peter vs. Taurus Sykes heavyweight showdown is being promoted by Duva Boxing in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Tres Amigos LLC. and will be televised live on Showtime Championship Boxing on Saturday, July 2, at 9 p.m. ET/PT (tape delayed on the West Coast) .