By Jake Donovan

It looks like the brass at Sauerland Event will have to celebrate its upcoming anniversary the traditional way—with a night on the town rather than at the fights.

Following a rash of injuries and opponent withdrawals, a command decision has been made to cancel the September 26 show at Max Schmelling Halle in Berlin, Germany. The card was to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the first show hosted by company founder Wilfried Sauerland, but will now be forced to settle for a belated celebration.

A few days after Tyron Zeuge was forced to pull out of his crossroads bout with Eduard Guknecht due to a foot injury sustained in a traffic accident, unbeaten super middleweight prospect Stefan Haertel hit the disabled list. The wounds coupled with the late withdrawals of intended opponents for other key undercard fighters were enough to convince company brass to postpone the event. 

“It’s a pity for the boxers who have been training hard in preparation for this event,” Frederick Ness, general manager for Sauerland Event said in a statement through its press office. 

The show was to be headlined by an interim title fight between rising star Jack Culcay and unbeaten Dennis Hogan. Plans also called for top heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev to return to the ring for the first time since a knockout loss to World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko last November.

Rather than apply scotch tape and bubble gum to the rest of the card, efforts will now be made for a proper celebration when its fighting staff is at full strength. 
  
“We want our audience to enjoy not only a world-class main event but also a high-quality undercard,” Ness notes. “This is what Team Sauerland is known for and this is what we will continue to deliver. Unfortunately due to the circumstances, this was not possible for September 26.”
 
A new date for the ‘Next Generation’ show will be announced in the near future. Ticket refunds are available at the point of purchase, according to a company release.

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com.
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
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