German contender Erkan Teper will not be able to fight former cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev on July 22 in Moscow.

Another representative of Germany, Michael Wallisch, has become the next opponent for the Russian boxer, according to Vasily Konov.

The fight between Gassiev and Wallisch will take place on July 22 at the Dynamo Arena in Moscow. The card is being timed to coincide with International Boxing Day.

Initially Gassiev expected to face veteran Kevin Johnson, and a switch was then made to Teper.

"Due to restrictions in connection with the pandemic, difficulties arose with the paperwork (for Teper)," the organizers of the event explained.

Wallisch (22-4, 15 KOs) has won his last two fights by knockout. The German fighter has suffered stoppage defeats to Christian Hammer, Efe Ajagba, Tony Yoka and Joe Joyce. 

Gassiev, a former WBA and IBF cruiserweight champion, has a record of 27 wins and one loss.

In his last fight, which took place in October of last year, the 27-year-old fighter made his heavyweight debut and knocked out Nuri Seferi in the first round.

That was Gassiev's first fight in over two years.

He moved up to the heavyweight division after suffering the first defeat of his career when he dropped a twelve round unanimous decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in July of 2018, in what was the final bout of the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament.