Express & Star

Boxing bites the dust too

Boxing bouts across the West Midlands and Shropshire have been cancelled after governing bodies postponed events until the end of the month.

Published

The spiralling coronavirus pandemic has forced the British Boxing Board of Control to cancel all public tournaments under its control until the end of the month, following government advice encouraging ‘social distancing’.

BCB Promotions’s March Mayhem show at Walsall Town Hall has been cancelled as a result, after being pencilled in for March 28.

The event was due to feature several local fighters, including Tipton’s light-heavyweight Ricky Summers and Halesowen’s super-middleweight Lennox Clarke.

Stourbridge’s Sam Eggington was due to fight on the Hennessy Sports event in Coventry on the same night, but his bout has also been postponed. They are targetting to rearrange it on a date in early May.

The statement from the British Boxing Board of Control read: “With regard to the statement made by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, all public tournaments under the jurisdiction of the British Boxing Board of Control are unfortunately cancelled.

“Further consideration of the matter will take place at the beginning of April.”

Meanwhile, BCB Promotions’s Telford Takeover event, due to take place on April 4, has also been cancelled.

English title contender Liam Davies was due to lead the way in the first professional boxing event in Telford in 13 years.

Hosted at the Oakengates Theatre, now called The Place, locals Raja Khan, Ryan Whitehead, Nathan McFarlane, Bradley Thompson and Dean Jones were due to make up the bill.

No date has been set for either of BCB’s shows, in Walsall and Telford, to be rescheduled.