By Keith Idec

Super middleweight Demond Nicholson was recovering in ICU at a Virginia hospital Saturday afternoon due to an undisclosed kidney condition.

Nicholson’s promoter, Lou DiBella, told BoxingScene.com Nicholson’s fight against Ernest Amuzu, scheduled for Saturday night, was canceled once Nicholson was hospitalized Friday. The Nicholson-Amuzu match was supposed to be part of the Jarret Hurd-Julian Williams undercard at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia.

DiBella said that Nicholson was resting comfortably and expects to make a full recovery.

Nicholson, 26, made the contracted weight of 168 pounds Friday afternoon for their scheduled 10-round bout. The 6-feet Nicholson weighed in at exactly 168 pounds, the super middleweight limit, but began cramping Friday as he attempted to rehydrate in his hotel room.

The pain became excruciating and Nicholson’s manager, Thomas Williams, drove him to an area hospital.

Nicholson (21-3-1, 20 KOs), of Laurel, Maryland, and Amuzu (25-4, 22 KOs), of Prichard, Alabama, were supposed to fight for the regional USNBC super middleweight championship.

Nicholson fought most recently March 9. He stopped Jessie Nicklow in the first round that night in Hanover, Maryland.

Nicholson has won three straight fights, all by knockout or TKO, since Jesse Hart stopped him in the seventh round of their April 2018 fight in Philadelphia, Hart’s hometown. ESPN televised the Hart-Nicholson bout, in which Hart knocked down Nicholson three times.

Nicholson had been looking forward to boxing before many of his hometown fans on Saturday night.

Hurd (23-0, 16 KOs), of nearby Accokeek, Maryland, will defend his IBF, IBO and WBA 154-pound championships against Philadelphia’s Williams in the 12-round main event. FOX will air Hurd-Williams and two 10-round fights as part of a three-bout broadcast scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.