Nigeria’s African Boxing Union welterweight champion, Larry Ekundayo, has postponed his scheduled title defence against Saidi Mundi of Tanzania because of injury.
A statement by Ekundayo’s handlers on Tuesday said he damaged his hands during training in preparation for his scheduled titled defence.
Undefeated Ekundayo, who won the belt in October 2015, was scheduled to fight Mundi on Saturday June 4 at York Hall in London.
Speaking from his base in London Ekundayo said “I am bitterly disappointed not to be fighting at the weekend after all the training I’ve done. I was looking forward to bringing sporting success to Nigeria and continue to climb up the world rankings, but my team decided that I couldn’t take the risk to fight with such an injury.”
His manager, Ben Gray also said: “Larry is a great boxer, but even he can’t fight a man with only one hand! Larry carry’s the hopes of a nation on his back and it would not be right to send him into battle without giving him the best opportunity of victory”.
Ekundayo will be out of action for six to eight weeks whilst his hand heals. Once this is done the bout will be rescheduled for later in the year.
Speaking further, the boxer’s special advisor, Bimbo Folayan says “this is a very big loss to Larry considering the amount of time and effort he has put in, but I know Nigerians will support their man and join me in cheering him on when he returns.”
A victory for Ekundayo against Mundi will propel him up the world rankings ahead of a potential title defence planned for Nigeria on Independence Day, October 1, 2016.
