Vernon Paris' Promoter Rips Coleman For Withdrawal

By Mark Vester

According to Detroit's Free Press, junior welterweight Tim Coleman has withdrawn from his fight against Vernon Paris, which was scheduled to take place on the Tim Bradley-Devon Alexander undercard on January 29 at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Coleman (18-1-1, 5 KOs) dislocated his shoulder in training. A replacement opponent is being sought for Paris (23-0, 14 KOs)

Paris' promoter Carlos Llinas told the paper that Coleman is ducking his fighter.

“I don’t think Coleman dislocated his shoulder — I think he dislocated his heart,” Llinas said. “He didn’t want to come to Detroit and get murdered in the ring. … He needs to go to a cardiologist for a checkup on his heart. We’ve trained long and hard for this fight. It’s a shame.”