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Nick Parkinson
The suspension of professional boxing in the UK has been extended until the end of April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) announced the decision on Monday following advice from government and medical authorities, and will review the situation again at the end of April.
The BBBofC last week cancelled all boxing events in the UK until early April and ruled out the possibility of events taking place behind closed doors without fans.
Before the British boxing authority’s latest announcement, promoters had already cancelled events in April.
Promoter Hennessy Sports postponed the European junior-lightweight title fight between Samir Ziani and Alex Dilmaghani, scheduled for April 25, while the much anticipated European and British heavyweight title fight between Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois, due to be shown on ESPN, has been moved from April 11 to July 11, still to be held at the O2 Arena in London.
WBA-IBF world super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor’s defence against Thailand’s Apinun Khongsong — scheduled for May 2 in Glasgow — has also been postponed, and no new date has been announced.
Other bouts schedule for May are looking in doubt due to the restrictions on movement of people as the world tries to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte, No. 1 in line to face WBC champion Tyson Fury, is still training for his fight against Russia’s Alexander Povetkin at the Manchester Arena on May 2. Ireland’s Katie Taylor and New York-based Amanda Serrano, of Puerto Rico, are due to meet in an outstanding match-up on the same bill.
And Ukrainian heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk is due to face England’s Dereck Chisora at the O2 Arena on May 23.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is even bracing himself to move WBA-IBF-WBO world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s fight against Kubrat Pulev, scheduled for June 20 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London to a date in July.