By Terence Dooley

Birmingham’s Frankie Gavin (25-3, 15 stoppages) will not meet Namibia-based Bethuel Ushona (36-5-1, 9 KOs) for the IBO welterweight title this month as the fight has been called off due to the loss of crucial sponsorship money. 

The Birmingham Mail confirmed the news earlier today and it is the second time that the fight has been hit with problems after the original January date was pushed back due to Gavin picking up an ankle injury in training.

A March 24 date was agreed, but that will now not be met after Kevin Baker of BWI Promotions confirmed that the fight will not go ahead due to a lack of money following the withdrawal of a major sponsor. 

It is a big blow for Gavin, who was training under Steven Maylett, Terry Flanagan’s trainer, for the his shot at the lightly-regarded belt after leaving former trainer Dean Edwards and relocating to Manchester for what could be his last throw of the dice. 

The BCB Promotions show at the Genting Arena will still go ahead minus its headline fight, which will be scant consolation to Gavin. 

“I am absolutely gutted,” he said when speaking to the Birmingham Mail. 

“I'm so, so upset because I've worked so hard for so many weeks.  I have already had my share of setbacks but this has been the real knock out [sic] blow.  All I wanted to do was train hard and win this belt for my family.  I've been living away from my fiancée Emma and the kids for weeks to prepare and now to have the opportunity to win a belt and decent purse snatched away from me has left me devastated.”

“Unfortunately for Frankie all the hype around his injury and then changing trainer meant there was some uncertainty over whether the fight would ever actually take place as far as major sponsors were concerned,” added Baker.

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