Alex Arthur Is Out

27.02.07 – Alex Arthur has withdrawn from his forthcoming Vacant WBO Intercontinental Super-Featherweight boxing title challenge against Alexander Hrulev on March 10th at the Liverpool Olympia due to an arm injury. The hard-hitting Edinburgh star over-extended his right arm during a hand-pad session with his trainer last week and immediately recoiled in agony from the pain in his elbow. He was taken straight to his personal physio Sandy Lyle and ultra-sound scans revealed that he had suffered soft tissue damage to the posterior aspect of his elbow joint. Arthur is responding well to treatment but it will be at least six weeks before he his back to fully punching..

Arthur said, “The searing pain was like nothing I had ever experienced before and I immediately knew something was seriously wrong. I’ve had odd twinges here and there but I can normally work through them but this was unbearable. Luckily I have one of the best physiotherapists in the country, Sandy Lyle, who looks after me and once the boxing injury happened we went straight to her clinic. I had an ultra-sound scan and the results showed that I had damaged the soft tissue around my elbow and it will be at least six weeks before I can punch again.”

He added, “Obviously I’m absolutely gutted that I’ve had to pull out of the fight because this was the start of a busy year for me and no boxer wants to be pulled out of a fight. I did try to keep my hopes alive of fighting on the show by going running with a sling but the pain was still too much and I could only use one arm so I was really just kidding myself.”

“The treatment is going well and I have every faith in Sandy getting me back to full fitness and back on track for my world title campaign.”

Arthur’s withdrawal from the Liverpool card is a blow but fight fans still have a fantastic night of boxing in store for them – the biggest held in the City in recent years.

French star Souleymane M’Baye headlines the show with the first defence of his WBA World Light-Welterweight title against Andreas Kotelnik. Join attraction features Liverpool hot-shot Derry Matthews defending his WBU World Featherweight title against Glasgow’s John Simpson.

Chief support see Londoner Kevin Mitchell defending his Commonwealth Super-Featherweight title against South Africa’s Harry Ramagoadi.

Rising Liverpool star Paul Smith challenges Belgium’s Alexander Polizzi for the Vacant WBU International Middleweight title and Manchester’s Stephen Bell take’s on local lad Jamie McKeever for the Vacant Central Area Super-Featherweight title.

Completing the card are Anthony Crolla, Denton Vassell, Steven Burke, Tony Quigley and the pro debuts of Joe McNally and John Watson