Unified champ Oscar Collazo set for last minute replacement as opponent unable to enter the US in time

Tom Eaton

Unified champ Oscar Collazo set for last minute replacement as opponent unable to enter the US in time
Image credit: Getty

This weekend, Joey Canoy was set to challenge Oscar Collazo, but the challenger is currently unable to enter the United States.

Puerto Rico’s Collazo has established himself as the man to beat in the minimumweight division, with regular activity and lofty ambitions making him a must-watch in the 105lb scene.

Collazo halted Melvin Jerusalem back in May 2023 and has defended that belt on seven occasions since, including in a title unification with then WBA champion, Knockout CP Freshmart, also known as Thammanoon Niyomtrong, in November 2024.

Since trumping the Thai champion, Collazo has made a total of three defences of the unified title, and he was next set to take on Filipino Canoy, 25-5-2 (15 KOs), on Saturday night.

The duo were planned to top the bill at the Frontwave Arena in California, where amateur standouts Ruslan Abdullaev and Joshua Edwards are also scheduled to appear on the Golden Boy undercard.

However, despite the event being just days away, Canoy has not yet been able to travel to the US due to visa complications and will pull out of the fight ‘if he is unable to fly to America by Thursday night’, according to Daily Tribune.

“As of early Monday afternoon, Canoy was still waiting for the issuance of his US visa. Sources say that if Canoy wont be able to fly to America by Thursday night, he will just stay behind.

“The official weigh-in is set on Friday. The travel documents of Canoy were submitted to the US embassy more than three weeks ago.”

Canoy has fought overseas in both South Africa and Japan in the past, but it is believed that recently tightened U.S. immigration policies, combined with a delay in the announcement of the venue for the event, could be the reasons behind this ongoing issue.

In the latest update from WBO President Gustavo Olivieri, it appears Canoy has now indeed missed his shot, with Mexico’s Luis Castillo floated as a replacement.

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