Boxer James Moorcroft has fight opponent switched

The Hindley fighter was due to take on Sheffield boxer Anthony Tomlinson for the belt next Friday, May 21 in front of a limited crowd.

But Moorcroft has revealed it has been put back until August.

Both he and Tomlinson will still be fighting on the 21st, against different opponents.

Moorcroft posted on social media: "It seriously guts me to inform you all that my scheduled European title fight with Anthony Tomlinson has been pushed back to August. What can I say.

"The good news is that I will still be fighting on the same night 21st May Sheffield arena which my opponent Tomlinson will be fighting as well - just not each other. I've still now got a big fight and a huge job to do in there and can’t wait to put all our hard work as a team into practice and get out fighting in front of you all and on the new boxing app Fightzone. Hopefully if everything goes to plan it’s certainly going to be an epic European title fight in August."

He thanked people for their support and offered refunds to anyone who had bought tickets for next Friday, and no longer wanted to attend because of the switch.

The event is being staged on the carpark of Sheffield Arena and is the first of a new run of open air shows in the city under his ‘Fight Academy’ banner, following the success of their drive-in shows last December.

It will be Moorcroft’s first fight since a defeat in January 2020 due to the pandemic and first under new coach, former WBA lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla. Moorcroft had previously been unbeaten since turning pro in 2017, chalking up 13 wins.