Daniel Dubois will now face Dutchman Ricardo Snijders on Saturday August 29 after planned opponent Erik Pfeifer was ruled out.
The unbeaten and exciting Dubois (14-0 with 13 wins inside distance) had been due to take on German ace Pfeifer (7-0) but that plan was scuppered due to issues with his medical.
And Dutch title holder Snijders (18-1) has stepped in at the last minute as Dubois returns from an eight-month absence to tune up for his planned pay-per-view showdown with fellow unbeaten prospect Joe Joyce (11-0) at London’s O2 Arena on October 24.
Promoter Frank Warren said: “Of course it’s a disappointment that we have had to make a late change, but the most important thing was getting Daniel a solid test. We’ve had Snijders training for weeks getting ready for this fight on the off-chance there was an issue, and thank God we did.
“Pfeifer‘s team didn’t submit his MRI on time and given the current circumstances we couldn’t stand for the uncertainty or take the risk that the fight would be pulled at the last minute.
“Daniel hasn’t boxed since last December, some eight months ago. That’s a long time, especially for Daniel who has always been active.
“Daniel trained at home with his sister and younger brother during lockdown and he has been back in the gym with his trainer Martin Bowers for several weeks.
“Joe got an impressive win last month, so this is Daniel’s chance to show what he’s made of. Of course my nerves will be on edge a bit next week.
“They were until Joe came through against Michael Wallisch, and until Daniel’s arm is raised after the Snijders fight it will be the same.
“Snijders fancies the fight and was happy to say ‘yes’ and jump at the opportunity of his career. He’s coming up from cruiserweight and wants to follow in the footsteps of fighters like Usyk, Haye and Bellew.”
Warren is hoping that if Dubois defeats Snijders and follows up against Joyce, a world-title shot could become a reality next year.
He said: “Providing Daniel can solve this Dutch puzzle, we can push on with the Joyce fight and then we can hope for a world title fight next year as a mandatory contender.”
The 26-year-old Snijders turned professional in 2016 and seven of his last eight victories have come inside distance.
Dubois vs Snijders will take place behind closed doors at BT Sport Studios in Stratford, London and will air live on BT Sport.
