Peter Quillin vacates WBO title
WBO middleweight titleholder Peter Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs) has decided to vacate his belt rather than face mandatory challenger Matt Korobov (24-0, 14 KOs).
"I'd like to thank WBO president Paco Valcarcel and his organization for their support throughout the years," said Quillin.
"Winning the WBO world championship was a highlight in my career and something I'll never forget, this is a difficult decision, but in order to make the fights the fans and I want against my fellow middleweights at the top of the division, I needed to relinquish the title.
"This is an exciting new chapter in my life, and I'm looking forward to cementing my spot as the best middleweight in the world."
At this point, fights with WBC champion Miguel Cotto and WBA titlist Gennady Golovkin seem unlikely, so it looks as though Quillin is targeting a fight with fellow New Yorker Daniel Jacobs, who holds the WBA 'regular' title and, like Quillin, is also advised by Al Haymon and fights under the Golden Boy banner.
Quillin, 31, defended the title three times, most recently outpointing Lukas Konecny in April.
Korobov, a 31-year-old Russian southpaw and a 2008 Olympian, now looks set to fight Britain's Billy Joe Saunders (20-0, 11 KOs) for the vacant title.