Boxing promotional firm Top Rank announced title fights featuring Filipino boxers Jerwin Ancajas and John Riel Casimero have been postponed due to ongoing concerns surrounding the coronavirus disease, or Covid-19.
“The health and safety of our fighters [and] staff, and ESPN’s incredible production team, [are] the most important thing as we plan our next steps,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said in a statement. “We look forward to the day when we can bring our loyal fans world-class boxing once again but exercising caution is the most prudent thing to do at this moment.”
Ancajas was scheduled to battle Mexican boxer Jonathan Rodriguez for the International Boxing Federation super flyweight belt on April 11 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States; while Casimero was set to face Naoya Inoue of Japan in a triple belt bantamweight unification title fight on April 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Arum said they will continue to monitor the situation before determining when the fights will be rescheduled./ASC, WDJ