Osleys Iglesias vs Vladimir Shishkin In The Works, Winner Becomes Canelo's Mandatory

Although Canelo Alvarez is preparing for a mega-fight against Terence Crawford on Sept. 13th, the IBF is not wasting time finding his next challenger.

Camille Estephan, Iglesias' promoter, told Ring Magazine that the sanctioning body has ordered a fight between undefeated contender Osleys Iglesias and former title challenger Vladimir Shishkin. The potential bout will determine the IBF mandatory for Alvarez's undisputed super-middleweight title.

Estephan, the head of Eye of the Tiger Management, said that he's been negotiating with Dmitriy Salita, Shishkin's manager, for the fight to happen by July in Canada. Iglesias (13-0, 12 KOs) has been clamoring for big fight, and his promoter is looking to keep him active and showcase his skills.

"The fans want him to be in the bigger fights, and we will get him there. Everyone knows how dangerous and avoided Iglesias is. We’re getting to the point where they have to fight him now, and that’s exciting for us."
Estephan told Ring Magazine

The IBF's No. 1 ranking at super-middleweight is currently vacant, with Shishkin (16-1, 10 KOs) at No. 2 and Iglesias at No. 4. Both boxers are also in the Ring's rankings at 168 lbs, with Iglesias at No. 3 and Shishkin at No. 7.

Iglesias has become the boogeyman at 168 lbs, with fights with big names becoming more difficult to make. The 27-year-old from Cuba fought four times in 2024, knocking out all of them within five rounds. "El Tornado" is also the current IBO champion, which is not recognized by the four sanctioning bodies, and has made three defenses of his belt.

Shishkin is coming off his first career defeat, losing to William Scull for the vacant IBF title on Oct. 19th, 2024. Had he won, it would've been him fighting Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) on May 3rd. The 33-year-old's most notable win is against former IBF champion Jose Uzcategui on Dec. 17th, 2022.

With Canelo focused on Crawford for the time being, time will tell whether one of these two challengers will step up and pose a treat to the cash cow of boxing.

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