A damaged eardrum suffered during training has forced Royston Barney-Smith, 13-0 (7 KOs), to postpone his fight with Argentina’s Elias Duguet, 7-1-1 (2 KOs). The fight was due initially was scheduled for Saturday March 1st.

The talented junior lightweight boxed five times in 2024 and steadily improved as the year went on. The southpaw is targeting domestic titles in 2025 and had been hoping to get his year off to a flying start with an impressive performance in his first scheduled ten round fight.

The WBC International silver title fight had been due to take place on the undercard of Ryan Garner’s European 130lb title fight with unbeaten Spaniard, Salvador Jimenez.

TNT Sports will televise the event from the Bournemouth International Centre.

Still only 21, Barney-Smith can afford the slight road bump in his progress and he will instead box on the undercard on the hotly anticipated junior lightweight fight between his gym mate and former WBA featherweight title holder, Leigh Wood, and former IBF 130lb champion, Anthony Cacace. That fight takes place in Nottingham on May 10th.

That show will be televised by DAZN.