By Terence Dooley
Eddie Hearn of Matchroom has told BoxingScene that Scott Quigg is still on the hunt for an opponent as Shingo Wake is no longer in the running for a clash with the WBA Super bantamweight titlist due to an ankle injury.
Quigg, 26, will feature on the undercard of Tony Bellew versus Nathan Cleverly on November 22, which takes place at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, but has yet to find out who will be in the other corner.
However, the 26-year-old is a consummate professional, he has been working hard in the gym under trainer Joe Gallagher while waiting on news of an opponent.
Wake, 17-4-2 (10), picked up the injury in training last week, so is now officially out of the equation. Indeed, Hearn recently told BoxingScene that Wake was one of three potential opponents for Quigg’s fifth title defence, so the 29-0-2 (22) Bury-based boxer has options aplenty on the table.
Ironically, Wake’s fellow countryman Hidenori Otake has now become a potential target. The 22-1-3 (9) boxer sits at nine in the latest WBO ratings and is rated fourth in the division by the IBF, he also has a #8 ranking on BoxRec’s independent listings.
Otake, 33, is in training for a mooted clash against the ever-reliable TBA in Japan on November 18, so he is in fighting shape and good to go. He last fought back in March, a 10-round decision win over Takafumi Nakajima in the fourth successful defence of the Japanese 122lb title he picked up by beating Takafumi Nakajima by split decision in August 2012.
Hearn confirmed that they could move their attention to Otake, but pointed out that there are other names in the frame at this point in time. Either way, Quigg will continue to gear his training towards the November date.
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