Selby to keep title after rival goes missing
Amanhunt was launched in London yesterday after the opponent due to challenge Welsh world champion Lee Selby on the James DeGale homecoming card tomorrow disappeared.
there was no sign of mexico’s Eduardo Ramirez at the final media conference, as promoter Frank Warren sent assistants to the hotel where the challenger for Selby’s IBF featherweight title has been staying.
Ramirez’s room was empty apart from his kit. after a search he was found in the vicinity of his east London accommodation but issues over his weight remained a problem.
Warren reported: ‘We were trying to find him. this is very unprofessional and unacceptable behaviour and it will be very disappointing if Selby is denied another fight at the last moment.’
Even if the fight goes ahead Selby is guaranteed to keep his world title. this is because the first hint of trouble came when Ramirez scaled four pounds over the check-weight limit on a compulsory pre-weigh-in trip to the scales. that put the undefeated 24-year-old a full eight pounds over the featherweight limit.
Warren alerted the British Boxing Board of Control who ruled that Ramirez would not be allowed to box if he drained down below 9st 2lb for heath reasons. that would still leave him four pounds overweight.
the IBF then declared that they would approve an overweight contest only on the condition that Selby keeps their belt, win or lose at the Copper Box arena built for the 2012 Olympic Games.
the likeable Selby has endured a distressing year, which has included the passing of his mother and grandfather.
he also lost his long-desired debut appearance in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, where he was due to appear on the card topped by Carl Frampton’s defeat by Leo Santa Cruz. the scheduled opponent on that occasion, Jonathan Barros, failed a blood test.
Barros was cleared to meet Selby in London some months later and the Welshman went through with that fight even though his mother died just four days earlier.
he made that decision as a consequence of the frustration of not fighting and the need to keep his career active.
this fight with Ramirez is planned to set him up for big stadium fights against Josh Warrington and Frampton next year.
Selby, 30, said: ‘after all that has happened in 2017 I’ve learned to cope with serious disappointment.
‘I will just stay professional and focused and hope that this guy shows up on the night.’
For his part, DeGale declared himself fully recovered from major shoulder and nasal surgery as he approaches his first fight in the uK for more than three years.
the challenger for his IBF world super middleweight title, experienced american Caleb truax, thankfully turned up on time yesterday.
the 34-year-old said: ‘I know it will be a huge upset if I beat James. But I wouldn’t have travelled all this way unless I believed I could win and not only realise my dream of becoming world champion but also secure the financial future of myself and my family.’
DeGale is a heavy odds-on favourite with bookmakers to secure the victory which is expected to see him also fight in stadiums next year, against the likes of his old rival George Groves. DeGale v Truax and Selby v Ramirez are scheduled to be televised live on Box Nation and BT Sport tomorrow night.