A late injury has ruined plans for a major British card set for later this month.
A major British boxing card slated for later this month has been abruptly postponed.
With major promoter Queensberry confirming via its social media platforms the cancellation of its Magnificent 7 card this morning, which was set for the 24th in Manchester at the Co-op Live Arena.
The postponement is due to an injury sustained by headliner Moses Itauma.
The card was set to be headlined by young British heavyweight phenom Moses Itauma against the American veteran Jermaine Franklin Jr.
Itauma last fought in August in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he headlined against former WBC interim champion Dillian Whyte.
In what was seen as a step up in competition, Itauma showed otherwise, knocking Whyte out in the very first round.
Showing why he is widely regarded as the next superstar of the heavyweight division.
His fight against Jermaine Franklin Jr. is seen as another step up in competition against the tough American veteran.
Franklin Jr. boasts an impressive record of 24 wins and 2 defeats.
With those two losses only coming at the highest level to former unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua via a 12-round unanimous decision.
His only other loss was to former WBC interim champion Dillian Whyte in a closely contested majority decision loss over 10 rounds.
Franklin Jr. was last seen in action last September on the undercard of the historic Canelo vs. Crawford event at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, USA.
In which he picked up a 10-round unanimous points victory over former Olympic medalist and undefeated 15-0 Ivan Dychko.
Previous to that, Franklin Jr. picked up a 6-round stoppage victory over fellow American Devin Vargas at the Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
The upcoming bout is widely viewed as Itauma’s toughest test to date and a chance for the highly regarded prospect to gain valuable rounds, having only gone beyond the second round twice in his 13-fight career.
Franklin’s ability to go 12 rounds with former unified champion Anthony Joshua suggests this fight could provide that valuable experience.
The card is also set to feature a high-level domestic clash at light heavyweight, with 19-2 former WBO interim title challenger Willy Hutchinson up against undefeated Ezra Taylor.
The winner firmly puts themselves in line for big opportunities in the stacked 175-pound division.
Another notable fight on the card is the highly world-ranked, undefeated 15-0 Shakiel Thompson vs. 20-2-1 proven veteran Brad Pauls over 10 rounds at middleweight, with Thompson looking to solidify his number 3 ranking with the IBF.
The winner is firmly in line for a shot at the likely soon-to-be vacant IBF middleweight world title due to current champion Janibek Alimkhanuly testing positive for a banned substance last December.
Queensberry announced the whole Magnificent 7 card will be moved to the new date of 28th March, back at the Co-op Live in Manchester.
The specifics of Itauma’s injury at this point are unclear at this time.
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