Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin (16-0, 11 KOs) must meet a new opponent in a new country after Eugene Hill was forced to withdraw from their scheduled contest on December 9 at the Rosvalla Arena in Nyköping, Sweden.
Hill was unable to travel to Sweden due to unpaid child support, and although a replacement had been found, strict regulations imposed by the Swedish Martial Arts Delegation, meant there was not enough time for a new opponent to be approved.
Instead, Wallin will face Raphael Zumbano Love (39-13-1, 32 KOs) a week earlier on December 3 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He will be fighting in front 15,000 fans at the Arena Armeec on the undercard of the WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight title clash between European Champion Kubrat Pulev and former World Champion Samuel Peter.
‘’Of course, I’m disappointed to not be able to fight at home, but unfortunately with the political situation in Sweden, that was not possible,’’ said Wallin.
‘’I would love to get the chance to meet with someone in the government to speak to them about pro boxing. We have a good commission here in Sweden, and I think they should be trusted to make the decisions, like in other countries.“
Despite his disappointment, the Sundsvall southpaw says he is looking forward to joining former sparring partner Kubrat Pulev in action in the Bulgarian capital.
‘’I’m happy that I still get to fight, and I’m excited for it to be happening on such a big show,“ he says. “Zumbano Love is a strong opponent. I’ve seen him before and he’s fought some good guys. He’s been the distance with Shannon Briggs, Eric Molina and Charles Martin, so I think he will give me a tough fight, but I’m confident. I just want to get the rounds in, get the win and look good doing it!’’
Swedish fans can watch Wallin vs. Zumbano Love live and exclusive on Viaplay Fighting. For more information please visit http://www.viaplay.se.
leifpm 