British boxing’s return to the BBC on October 25 is set to be postponed following an injury to heavyweight Jeamie TKV.
The 31-year-old
was scheduled to take on Frazer Clarke for the vacant British heavyweight title in the main event of the show at Derby’s Vaillant Live Arena but a rib injury sustained during training camp means the fight will now be postponed. Boxing Scene were first to report the news.
The show’s promoter, Boxxer, are now working hard to find a solution and it looks most likely that the whole show will be rescheduled, with November 29 in play for the new date.
Another option for Boxxer would be to find a replacement for TKV to ensure the show, their first of the new arrangement with the BBC, still takes place. However, with few credible opponents available at such short notice, a postponement is expected to be confirmed imminently.
It is understood that the British Boxing Board of Control have not put any other British heavyweights forward to replace TKV and fight for their title, but the rearranged contest would still be for the vacant belt.
The postponement is a blow to Boxxer, who had hoped to launch the new deal with BBC in style. The show was set to be the
first live free-to-air professional boxing on the network for more than 20 years.
But they will now have to wait another month for TKV (8-2, 5 KOs) and Clarke (9-1-1, 7 KOs) to finally fight. Their initial Oct. 25 date was set to clash with the heavyweight fight between
Fabio Wardley and Joseph Parker at London’s o2 Arena, which
will be shown on DAZN.
Now Clarke-TKV is likely to land on November 29 - which will clash with Ben Whittaker’s Matchroom and DAZN debut at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre instead. Whittaker (9-0-1, 6 KOs) is set to fight Benjamin Gavazi over 10 rounds in his first fight since leaving Boxxer this year.