by Elliot Foster

Sam Bowen is on the hunt for a new opponent after Ronnie Clark pulled out.

The British super-featherweight champion had been set to take on the Dundee man on February 23.

Bowen, who was last in action at the Morningside Arena in Leicester back in October, will still fight at the same venue, exclusively live on BT Sport, but a new foe is needed.

The injury with which ‘The Shark’ has withdrawn from the fight with ‘Bullet’ is unspecified.

“We are looking to still have Sam defend his British title but if not he will definitely be in a title fight in Leicester on February 23,” Bowen’s promoter, Frank Warren, said when the news of the pull-out was revealed.

Bowen, 26, is 14-0 with 10 quick and took out Horacio Alfredo Cabral inside four rounds as he picked up the vacant WBO Inter-Continental title in the 130-pound division last time out.

And he, like Warren, is disappointed that the fight with Clark has been shelved.

“I’m disappointed,” he said. “I was looking forward to fighting Ronnie and it would have made a great fight.

“The titles allow me to fight in big fights and that is what I’ve been working for my whole boxing career.”

It is understood that Lyon Woodstock, who is already scheduled to feature on this card, could be in the opposite corner to Bowen on the night, but further details will be revealed in due course.

The vacant Midlands Area super-welterweight title clash between CJ Challenger and Kyle Haywood and Jack Massey’s vacant WBO European cruiserweight title fight against an opponent to be confirmed are part of the supporting cast to a card on which Anthony Yarde will be back in a defence of his WBO Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title against former European champion Mehdi Amar.

There is also action scheduled for Ryan Garner, Ryan Hatton, Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner Sam Maxwell, Willy Hutchinson, Mark Chamberlain, heavyweight Nathan Gorman and Tommy Fury.