A nagging knee injury has put a stop to former IBF World Middleweight Champion Sam Soliman’s fight against rising USA star 23-year-old Antoine Douglas, which was to be held in Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 5th.

Soliman’s manager, David Stanley said: “Sam is bitterly disappointed, but we view it as a temporary setback only. Postponing the fight is the right thing to do, as it makes no sense to fight injured, particularly at the level Sam fights at.”

“We feel for Antoine Douglas’s team, but that’s the ups and downs of boxing. Sam’s doctors have said he needs immediate arthroscopic surgery on his knee and he will be back in full training within six weeks and ‘fight fit’ eight weeks after that.”

“There are negotiations for a very exciting opportunity later this year. The risk of fighting now, against medical advice, would also impact on this opportunity.”

Sam Soliman said: “I was powering along, and was in what I considered the best form of my career, but I’m taking onboard the advice of medical experts and am going to get myself right again.”

“I’m no shirker, but I would have been letting myself and my fans down if I went into the fight knowing I was injured.”