With the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) raising concerns over Anatoli Muratov’s pre-fight medicals, he is now unable to fight in tonight’s bout with Chris Eubank Jr. at the SSE Arena, Wembley.
With the health and safety of our boxers being of paramount concern and the remaining time frame allowing no possibility of finding a replacement opponent of suitable quality, the bout has been cancelled and Eubank will not be appearing on tonight’s card.
The European welterweight title fight between David Avanesyan and Manchester’s Liam Taylor has been elevated to the top of the card.
“It is an extremely unfortunate situation for Chris. However, the health and safety of boxers is always our number one concern and at this late stage it has not been possible to find a suitable replacement,” said Kalle Sauerland, Head of Global Boxing at Wasserman.
“I know Chris was looking forward to fighting tonight at the The SSE Arena, Wembley and starring as the new face of Sky Sports Boxing. We are already in discussions regarding a new date for Chris and fans can expect to see him back in the ring very soon.”
Adam Smith, Sky Sports Head of Boxing, said, “I feel very strongly that first and foremost, the health and safety of all fighters is paramount.
“We’re hugely disappointed for Chris Eubank Jr, who has a big role to play in our new era on Sky Sports Boxing, and he will return on one of our shows in the coming weeks.
“David Avanesyan now tops tonight’s action-packed bill with his European title fight and we’ll bring you some of the most exciting talent in British boxing, with Richard Riakporhe, Ebonie Jones, and Germaine Brown all receiving their chance to shine on Sky Sports.”
“Obviously we are all disappointed that Chris Eubank Jr. can no longer compete on tonight’s card, but it is important to make the right decision in the interests of fighters’ health and safety. We’re grateful to the British Board of Boxing Control for the standards they employ to protect that,” said BOXXER’s Ben Shalom.
“My thoughts go out to Chris, who has had a very difficult time lately. He will come back stronger and remains a key figure in Sky Sports plans. Chris will be returning with a big fight in the next few weeks.
“Tonight’s card remains stacked with great fights from top to bottom, including the European Welterweight Championship bout in the main event, the English Super-Middleweight Title Eliminator bout between Germaine Brown and Jamal Ledoux and the return of top cruiserweight prospect Richard Riakporhe.”
Main image: Lawrence Lustig/BOXXER.