Joey Canoy during his fight in Sultan Kudarat. | Photo from Sanman boxing
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has officially ordered a world title eliminator between Filipino contender Joey Canoy and Chinese fighter DianXing Zhu in the IBF minimumweight division.
The announcement was made on Monday, December 30, by the IBF in collaboration with Canoy’s promoters at Sanman Boxing.
The order comes just days after Canoy’s impressive unanimous decision victory over Ariston Aton on December 27 at a Sanman Boxing-backed event in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat.
Canoy is currently ranked No. 5 in the IBF world minimumweight rankings, while Zhu holds the No. 3 spot. Former world champion Yudai Shigeoka, ranked No. 4, is not expected to face either Zhu or Canoy, as he has his sights set on a rematch against World Boxing Council (WBC) world minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem in the coming year.
The No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the division are currently vacant.
In its statement, the IBF clarified that Canoy and Zhu are the two highest-ranked available contenders for the IBF minimumweight title, which is currently held by Filipino champion Pedro Taduran.
The winner of their bout will become the mandatory challenger for Taduran’s title.
Both camps have been given a deadline to respond to the IBF’s order. Should they fail to do so, the IBF will proceed to consider the next highest-ranked contenders, including Filipinos such as Jake Amparo of PMI Bohol Boxing Stable, former world champion Ginjiro Shigeoka, and Vic Saludar.
Canoy, a seasoned veteran, boasts a record of 23 wins (14 by knockout), 5 losses, and 2 draws. He previously challenged for the IBO world minimumweight title.
Zhu, 28, hailing from Chengdu, China, holds a record of 14 wins (12 by knockout) and 1 loss. In addition to his IBF ranking, he is also highly ranked in the World Boxing Organization (WBO), holding the No. 2 global position.
Zhu has experience facing Filipino fighters, having defeated several, including PMI’s Shane Gentallan, Richard Garde, and Jerry Francisco.