Matthew Macklin's debut for Golden Boy Promotions will now take place in England - and be an eliminator for a world title.The Birmingham puncher was set to take on American legend Ronald 'Winky' Wright in Las Vegas in April, until the former undisputed light-middleweight champion pulled out of the ten-rounder with injury.
Macklin, a former British champion and two-time European middleweight king, was devastated at losing the chance to shine in front of a big American audience.
But now the 28-year-old Second City stylist, 28-2 (19), finds himself on the undercard of Amir Khan's defence of his World Boxing Association light-welterweight title, against undefeated Irishman Paul McCloskey, at Manchester's MEN Arena on April 16.
In fact, Macklin's 12-round WBA title eliminator with German-based Armenian Khoren Gevor, himself a former European 11st 6lbs champion, could turn out to be a far trickier assignment.
Okay, so Wright is a modern day legend but was nearing 40, had suffered back-to-back defeats (albeit against another all-time great, Bernard Hopkins, and then-white-hot Paul Williams) and hadn't fought in two years.
In Gevor, 31-5 (16), the Brummie meets a willing, dangerous and solid 32-year-old who has unsuccessfully challenged three times for world titles in two weight divisions (close decision defeats to Felix Sturm and Dimitri Sartison (WBA super-middleweight), as well as a gruesome knockout to Arthur Abraham for the IBF strap).
The winner of the intriguing-looking 36-minute scrap could then meet German star Sturm, the skilled and measured WBA boss, later this year.
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