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Bailey’s back injury postpones Alexander bout

Fighters Network
01
Sep

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A back injury suffered by IBF welterweight beltholder Randall Bailey has forced the postponement of his Sept. 8 defense against former IBF and WBC junior welterweight titleholder Devon Alexander that was slated for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Plans are for Bailey to defend against Alexander on either Oct. 20 at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., or else on Oct. 27 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., according to Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.

“I have just been informed about a half an hour ago that Randall Bailey has injured his back in sparring, and that we are going to have to postpone his fight with Devon Alexander from next Saturday” said Schaefer.



“As it relates to the Bailey-Alexander fight, we have talked to Showtime as well, and we will move that fight to either the Oct. 20 card from the Barclays Center, or to the Oct. 27 card from Anaheim. We’re not sure which one, but it will be one of those two.”

As for Sept. 8, the change means that the WBC junior welterweight eliminator, promoted with Lou DiBella Entertainment, will become the Showtime-televised main event between Lucas Matthysse and unbeaten southpaw Ajose Olusegun.

“The good news is that I’ve discussed with Showtime what’s going on,” said Schaefer. “We’re still going to go with Lucas Matthysse and Ajose from the Hard Rock in Las Vegas, so that is still going to happen.”

On an Oct. 20 show that is being billed “Brooklyn Pride,” the headliner is a rematch between RING, WBA and WBC junior welterweight champ Danny Garcia and four-division titlewinner Erik Morales, with the co-features being WBA welterweight titleholder and Brooklyn native Paulie Malignaggi making the first defense of his belt against Pablo Cesar Cano, and Brooklyn resident Peter Quillin challenging WBO middleweight titleholder Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, of France.

Also on the Brooklyn card are unbeaten middleweight contender Danny Jacobs, and welterweight Dmitriy Salita, both of Brooklyn, Brooklyn-born ex-beltholder Luis Collazo, Bronx-born Honduran junior middleweight Eddie Gomez, and junior middleweight Boyd Melson, of White Plains, N.Y.

Meanwhile, on Oct. 27, WBC junior featherweight beltholder Abner Mares will defend his title against rising WBA bantamweight titleholder Anselmo Moreno.

Schaefer said that the Sept. 8 card will be adjusted to accommodate a full show.

“We’re currently working with our matchmakers to move some of the other fights up,” said Schaefer. “We’re going to deliver a full event to Showtime and it will be a special edition of ShoBox.”

Photo by Chris Farina, Top Rank

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]

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