By Rick Reeno

As BoxingScene.com first reported earlier today, Lucian Bute (31-1, 24KOs) badly injured his left hand and as a result he withdrew from his scheduled Canadian super-fight against Jean Pascal (27-2-1, 16KOs). Pascal-Bute was going to take place on May 25th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. HBO was set to televise the contest.

Pascal's promoter, Yvon Michel of GYM, is trying to secure an acceptable replacement to remain on HBO.

Sources have told BoxingScene that rapper turned promoter Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, on behalf of WBA light heavyweight Beibut Shumenov (13-1, 8KOs), has apparently reached out to Michel to make a deal.

Michel confirms that Shumenov has indeed entered the picture, but HBO has the final say in whether or not the fight would be approved for their network - and then a deal would have to be struck between the involved promoters.

"Pascal likes the fight, I like fight, and [Shumenov's name] has been forwarded to HBO. We will see what happens," Michel told BoxingScene.com.

On the same May date, HBO will also air a delayed telecast of the very anticipated super middleweight rematch between champions Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler, but obviously the network would like to pair that match with a live fight.