
If any fighter has earned a break in 2026, it's Joey Canoy.
In March he was booked for a WBC eliminator against Siyakholwa Kuse in South Africa.
Scrapped. Kuse got a title shot instead.
In June he was three days away from challenging Oscar Collazo for the WBO and WBA belts in California.
Scrapped again. No US visa.
Two world-level fights. Two times he packed his bags for nothing.
So what did the "Babyface" from General Santos do ?
Stayed busy. Won at home in March. Won again in October.
And this week, at the WBC convention in Acapulco, his name came up again — Kuse, now the WBC strawweight champion, will defend against… Joey Canoy.
Funny how it works. The man he was meant to fight in an eliminator is now the man holding the belt.
The WBC is calling it a voluntary defence. Canoy has been their No. 1 contender this year. We'll let you decide what that means !
Here's the thing — Canoy is 33, a southpaw, and he's been around the block. He beat Melvin Jerusalem back in 2017, before Jerusalem became a two-time world champion. He took the WBC International title off Vietnam's Minh Phat Sam in General Santos last year.
But he's come up short in South Africa three times before.
Kuse is 23, and he took the green belt off Jerusalem in front of his own people at Emperors Palace in May.
Right now the Philippines has ONE world champion — Pedro Taduran.
Miel Fajardo and Zyvyr Medecillo get their shots in Tokyo on 26 November.
Canoy could make it a lot more than one.
Date and venue still to come. Let's just hope this time somebody sorts the paperwork early !!
🇿🇦 SIYAKHOLWA KUSE (10-3-1, 4 KOs) vs JOEY CANOY (26-5-2, 15 KOs) 🇵🇭
🥊 WBC Strawweight World Championship
📅 Date and venue TBA
Stay tuned !
Sources:
WBC (11 Nov 2026) — https://wbcboxing.com/en/wbc-mandatories-in-acapulco-decisions-across-all-18-divisions/
Fightnews, Bob Newman (11 Nov 2026) — https://fightnews.com/wbc-convention-day-3-mandatory-defenses-and-more/200179
SunStar Cebu (Mar 2026) — https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/canoy-wins-over-balidio
The Ring, Anson Wainwright (19 Jan 2026) — https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/siyakholwa-kuse-vs-joey-canoy-set-for-wbc-strawweight-eliminator-2Ws7TFgYCc7TD0ZJhoTHA0
The Ring (June 2026) — https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/collazo-to-face-valdez-visa-issue-costs-canoy-105-pound-title-fight-41moTVkJYeXAV9utzTFQHF
Cebu Daily News (June 2026) — https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/738920/canoy-collazo-world-title-showdown-cancelled
Wikipedia, Joey Canoy — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Canoy
Wikipedia, Siyakholwa Kuse — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siyakholwa_Kuse
Rappler (8 Nov 2026) — https://www.rappler.com/people/athletes/boxing-results-pedro-taduran-brandon-moreno-world-title-november-7-2026/
Daily Tribune (11 Nov 2026) — https://tribune.net.ph/2026/11/10/fajardo-medecillo-step-on-brakes





































December 24, 2024
Dear Partners,
I would like to take this moment to first wish you and your family a safe and blessed holiday season.
This annual report serves as a benchmark for our progress and a commitment to transparency in our operations. In 2024, a notable decline occurred in the number of professional boxing events held domestically. This downturn was primarily attributed to the cessation of grassroots events by VSP Promotions, a key promoter that played a crucial role in introducing new talent to the domestic professional boxing scene.
The challenges faced in organizing professional boxing events in Vietnam intensified in 2024 compared to the previous year, a reflection of the current market conditions. We anticipate this trend to persist in 2025 due to the continued existence of an unsupportive environment for event organizers, fostered by the local amateur boxing federation.
VBO organized the gathering of 10 commissions in Asia in 8/2024. It is our view that Asia has a fundamental challenge in how boxing is managed and supervised. Standardization and coherent cooperation models that have actionable and measurable outcomes will need to be developed in order to create more regional opportunities for the industry participants.
DOMESTIC REPORT 2024
INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2024
The VBO remains dedicated to securing international fight opportunities for Vietnamese boxers within safe environments. While the organization provides recommendations, the final decision to accept a fight rests solely with the boxers and their coaching teams.
OFFICIALS OF VBO REPORT 2024
VBO collects detailed performance data of each official in their assigned roles at every event. We compile these data for use towards training requirements to further improve their performance.
We hope that 2025 will bring more opportunities for the boxers between partnering countries and jointly continue to improve the quality of our officials. Have a wonderful holiday season! See you all in 2025.
Sincerely,
Lim Song
President of Vietnam Boxing Organization











