British stars Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez won’t be fighting on October 21 as the Sky Sports battle has been postponed due to an injury.
The undefeated all-British clash between the number one and number two world-ranked light heavyweights has been postponed after Azeez suffered an ailment in his final training session.
The friends-turned-rivals were set to meet this Saturday, October 21, in a hugely anticipated bout at The O2 with London bragging rights and a shot at world honors on the line.
Doctors have ruled Azeez unable to compete due to a back injury. Further details on Saturday’s event, including ticket information and a revised date for Buatsi vs Azeez, will be communicated shortly.
Buatsi vs Azeez tickets remain valid
All tickets will automatically remain valid for the rescheduled main event. A full refund will be made available for anyone not able to attend.
“I’m devastated for this to happen on fight week,” said Azeez after missing out with just a week to go. “It still hasn’t sunk in. I’ve never had to withdraw from a fight in my career before.
“I want to apologize to all the fans, especially those traveling to the fight. I’m also extremely sorry to my opponent, Joshua Buatsi.
“I’m sorry to my promoter and everyone involved who has worked so hard on this date.
“I hope this fight can be rescheduled as soon as possible.”
Postponed
BOXXER founder and CEO Ben Shalom said, “This is a big shock. But everyone at BOXXER is working very hard to ensure we provide clarity.
“We will update all fighters, teams, and, most importantly, the fans as soon as possible.
“I know that Dan would do anything to be in the ring on Saturday night, and for this to happen at this stage is devastating.
“This is a massive fight for British Boxing. But the health and safety of our fighters must come first.
“My heart goes out to Dan and Joshua, who have completed tough camps, and to the fans, with over 10,000 having made arrangements to come on Saturday.
“We will provide an update on the rest of the card and communicate a revised date for Buatsi-Azeez as soon as possible.”
The fight’s winner was linked to facing Anthony Yarde, Dmitry Bivol, or Artur Beterbiev in a massive match-up.
Buatsi and Azeez will have to wait a little longer to get it on finally.
