Liam Smith has reportedly been forced to withdraw from his bout with Josh Kelly due to a virus,
according to BoxingScene.
The bout, originally scheduled for next weekend’s Joshua vs Dubois undercard at Wembley
Stadium, had been eagerly-anticipated by many, with Scouse veteran Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs)
looking to rebound from his September 2023 TKO10 loss to Chris Eubank Jr. against the fleet-
footed Sunderland star.
However, he will now have to wait for his chance at redemption, leaving Kelly (15-1-1, 8 KOs) and
his team in a last-ditch scramble to find an opponent for the showpiece Riyadh Season event.
Within minutes of the announcement, representatives of unbeaten super-welterweight Ishmael
Davis (13-0, 6 KOs) and Belfast welterweight star Lewis Crocker (20-0, 11 KOs) volunteered their
men for the task, although it is not clear whether either man are under consideration.
