The undercard for the fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at Wembley has suffered a major blow just a week before the fight is set to take place.
AJ will attempt to become a three-time heavyweight champion and end his former teammate’s brief reign as IBF king on September 21 in English football’s hometown.
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An elaborate undercard has been planned for the huge home clash, which will take place in front of 96,000 fans.
But it has become a lighter contest after the former world champion withdrew due to illness.
His home fight with Josh Kelly has been cancelled after former WBO light-middleweight champion Liam Smith suffered from a virus.
It is unknown whether a replacement opponent will be found for Sunderland slugger Kelly.
Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga: Card, Preview, What Time & How to Watch the Fight LiveSmith, 36, hasn’t stepped into the ring since losing his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr last September.
The Liverpoolian arrives in Manchester in January 2023, sensationally stopping the former IBO super-middleweight champion in the fourth round of their first fight.
But lightning Smith was stopped in the tenth round of the rematch, failing to land two strikes.
Reflecting on the defeat, he said: “I couldn’t get up. Losing the weight took its toll on me.”
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Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois: Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the huge world title fight at Wembley
“From the moment of the back injury to the rescheduled date.
“It’s kind of like Race Against time, from our point of view, deadline Where Chris probably would have walked away from a rematch.
“It was always a race against time anyway, and I think that obviously played its part.
“You don’t have to be a genius to see how tired I was 40 seconds after the fight, you know what I mean? I felt like I couldn’t move. I think the weight killed me.
“I think everyone knows, and Chris knows, what I was like when I weighed it.
Anthony Joshua believes he is fighting the ‘new Frank Bruno’ as he prepares for blockbuster heavyweight clash against Daniel Dubois“After the injury, I lost three stone (42 pounds) and that was a lot of weight I had to lose in such a short space of time.”
