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Ray Moylette misses out on Mayo clash with two-time World Title challenger


Ray Moylette [11(4)-0] is set to have a big Mayo homecoming before the year is out and looks to be in line for a major step up.

The Islandeady lightweight will fight twice more this year and he and his team hope to close out 2019 with a huge fight in his home county.

Indeed, Moylette could have been fighting a former world title challenger.

Irish-Boxing.com understands that ‘Sugar Ray’ was agonisingly close to securing a bout versus two-time world title challenger Fernando David Saucedo [62(10)-8(2)-3] only for the veteran to opt for another fight.

The 36-year-old Argentine is said to have provisionally agreed to face Moylette only to later sign a deal for a big fight on November 10th in America versus former fearsome world champion Juanma Lopez.

The fight was to be for a WBC rankings title and set to be signed and announced imminently before it unfortunately fell apart at the last minute following the Lopez hijack.

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Saucedo was widely outpointed by Indonesian Chris John back in 2010 for the WBA featherweight title and by Cuban Rances Barthelemy for the IBF super featherweight title in 2014.

Over the course of a 17-year career, the Buenos Aires boxer has held Argentinian and South American titles as well as eight rankings belts from the major governing bodies.

Recently Saucedo has become something of a road warrior and this year has seen him suffer his only stoppage defeats – in the tenth round versus Emmanuel Tagoe in Ghana and in the eighth versus Cristian Mijares in Mexico.

The fight would have been a big step up for Moylette – although not his first versus a former title challenger having stopped the extremely faded Michael Clark last year.

Saucedo would have been a great step up for Moylette and, while it is unfortunate that the fight has been scuppered, it is certainly a positive sign in terms of the level of opponent that his team – Paschal Collins, Assassin Boxing, and Murphys Boxing – are aiming for as well as the career progression a WBC rankings belt can bring.

The 28-year-old European and World Youth gold medallist is back training having seen a fight with New England light welterweight champ Nick DeLomba fall through due to a minor injury.

Moylette will fight before his December bout – with an appearance on a card overseas likely before returning to Mayo.

Photo Credit: Laszlo Geczo Photography

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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