Derry Mathews Pulled From Dec 19 Card In Manchester

By Elliot Foster

Derry Mathews will sit out until the New Year after his world title fight was announced.

The Liverpool lightweight is set to face Terry Flanagan in a challenge for the WBO crown at the Echo Arena on February 13, 2016, live on BoxNation.

Mathews was handed home advantage for his fight against the Mancunian champion next year and was pencilled in for a warm-up bout on the undercard of the WBO middleweight title clash between Andy Lee and Billy Joe Saunders and Liam Smith’s first WBO super welterweight title defence against Jimmy Kelly on December 19.

But the decision has been taken to pull the former WBA interim titlist (38-9-2, 20 KOs) from the Manchester Arena bill through fear of the 32-year-old picking up a cut or an injury and putting the East Lancs derby in jeopardy.

Elliot Foster is part of Boxing Scene's UK team. Follow him on Twitter @FreelanceFoz