Warren Stays Optimistic the Barrera-Khan Bout Will Go On

By Boxing News - 02/02/2009 - Comments

khan5575734By Sam Gregory: Promoter Frank Warren remains hopeful that Marco Antonio Barrera will be completely recovered from the injury he suffered when he was deliberately head-butted by stand-in fighter Freudis Rojas in a warm-up fight in Mexico on Saturday night. The injury was a gash above the left eye which required two stitches.

Barrera was due to fly to Florida today with Don King for a full medical assessment with hopes he’ll be fit to face Amir Khan at the Manchester Evening News Arena on March 14th.

Warren said he’s an “optimist, not a pessimist. I want the show to go on, although I know there are people out there who want it off. There won’t be any replacement, Warren continued. Once I know what’s happening I will make a decision, but at the moment everything is as it was.”

Rojas replaced original opponent John Nolasco at 24 hours notice, after Nolasco failed to show up for the weigh-in.

The replacement was considered a poor choice as Rojas is a novice, with just one win from ten pro fights, and was thrown in with a seven time world champion.

Manchester fighter and British lightweight champion John Murray has already put himself in the frame as a replacement for Barrera if he can’t fight due to the injuury, but Warren says any decisions will not be taken until the extent of the injury is known.

The news of the injury has put Manchester boxer Murray on high alert, as he would love a crack at Khan and his Commonwealth lightweight title, but the whole show is much more likely to be postponed until later in the year if Barrera is unfit to fight.