The fight card set for January 31st in Kolding, Denmark has taken an unexpected turn, with Spain’s Almudena Álvarez stepping in to face undefeated, two-division champion Dina Thorslund (pictured) for the WBC interim featherweight title, following the withdrawal of the originally scheduled opponent. Alvarez is 43 years old, just 7-3 as a pro, and is coming off a loss. Contractual disagreements arose with the initial challenger, Lila Furtado. The winner of this duel will be crowned the WBC interim champion, granting them the immediate right to seek a unification bout against the reigning WBC world champion, Tiara Brown of the United States. For Thorslund, the former undisputed world bantamweight champion, just making it back to the ring represents an achievment of personal resilience. After relinquishing her titles due to pregnancy and subsequently facing the heartbreaking loss of her baby, Thorslund has decided to channel her strength into a new category: the 126-pound (featherweight) division.

 

For Alvarez, this last-minute change represents a “golden ticket." She travels to Denmark with the goal of seizing the moment and delivering one of the biggest upsets in women’s boxing in recent years.