Unbeaten cruiserweight Leonardo Mosquea has had to pull out of his Oct. 4 European cruiserweight title defense against veteran Mateusz Masternak and give up his belt because of an unspecified arm injury.

Masternak will now face an undetermined opponent to fill the vacancy in Zakopane, Poland.

Mosquea, rated at No. 8 by The Ring, enjoyed a coming out party last December when he upset Cheavon Clarke (SD 12) to win the vacant title.

"We are truly disappointed by this outcome, but the boxer's health must come first," Alex Komurian, Mosquea's manager, told The Ring. "According to the physiotherapist, the rehabilitation to regain full mobility of the arm should take around 10 to 12 weeks.

"Our priority is for him to recover fully before stepping back into the ring. The goal is for Leo to return stronger and ready for the biggest opportunities."

Mosquea (17-0, 10 KOs) was born in the Dominican Republic but lives in France, where he made his professional debut in 2019. The 31-year-old scored a first-round knockout over Brice Clavier to win the vacant French title in March 2023 before venturing onto the European scene last year.

The talented boxer has outpointed Dylan Bregeon (UD 12), beaten Clarke and stopped Argentina's Ivan Gabriel Garcia in the ninth round of a stay-busy assignment over the past 14 months.

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