Soviets OKd Their First World Title Fight, Briton Says

British boxing promoter Mike Barrett said today that he has received Soviet approval to stage the first world title fight in Moscow in late October.

Barrett said the professional boxing program, which could be held in the 20,000-seat Olympic Stadium on the last weekend in October, could feature as many as three world title bouts.

The fight program would include American and British boxers, he said, and would mark the first time a professional title fight had been held in the Soviet Union.

“Stage 2 is tying up world championship fights together with television,” Barrett said in a telephone interview.

Barrett, who spent Sunday and Monday in Moscow, said he will fly to the United States next week or the following week to discuss his plans with American television networks.

Earlier this month, the International Boxing Federation staged the first professional boxing card in the Soviet Union with an evening of bouts in Tallinn. Barrett said his plans are not connected with those of the IBF.