Oscar Rivas will be replaced by Stephan Shaw (18-0, 13 KOs) in their fight against Efe Ajagby (16-1, 13 KOs). On January 14 in Verona, Top Rank will host an evening with the bout as the main event.
Once Rivas withdrew from the Ajagba fight, Top Rank matchmakers turned to Shaw. After sustaining retinal damage during a recent sparring session, 35-year-old Rivas (28-1, 19 KOs) was forced to withdraw from what would have been his most brutal fight since Dillian Whyte.
The 28-year-old Shaw was originally set to fight with Guido Vianello. In the co-feature on ESPN, Vianello (10-0-1, 9 KOs) is now anticipated to meet American veteran Jonnie Rice (15-6-1, 10 KOs).
Rice of Los Angeles has beaten previously undefeated Michael Coffie (13-3, 10 KOs) in back-to-back fights, but he hasn't fought since his 10-round unanimous-decision victory over Coffie in Hollywood.
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