Eric Donovan's European Union super-featherweight boxing title bout has been postponed.
'Lilywhite Lightning' had been due to fight Mario Alfano for the strap in Brescia next weekend but the Kildare fighter has been ruled out due to a rib injury.
Reigning Irish champion Donovan says he sustained the issue in a recent sparring session and is disappointed to have to postpone the fight.
"I'm absolutely gutted," former world amateur medalist Donovan told OTB Sports. "I genuinely believe that next week was going to be the time I would be crowned European champion.
"Unfortunately that's now not going to be the case for me. I picked up a bad rib injury and it's put me in a position where I'm unable to compete.
"That scheduled 12-round fight could potentially have been a very physical battle. That's the nature of professional sport, we put our bodies through the mill on a daily basis to try and achieve our dreams.
"The dream is not dead, it's not lost, it's just pushed down the road a little bit. Once I can get back to full health and full fitness then we can reschedule the fight and I can look forward to make my dream a reality,"
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