Lockett believes he can dominate the domestic middleweight scene

The 27-year-old Cwmbran middleweight damaged a tendon in his right knee.

"I'm absolutely gutted," Lockett told the South Wales Argus, though he is confident that the fight can be rearranged for September.

"There shouldn't be any problem rescheduling and the winner will be first in line for a crack at Eugenio Monteiro's title."

Manchester-based Portuguese fighter Monteiro stopped Anthony Farnell in 10 rounds last month to claim the title.

Elcock, 30, who has had just 14 professional fights, is a former WBU champion himself, having won the belt from Farnell in April last year.

I think our scales were damaged by kids jumping on them Gavin Rees' trainer Enzo Calzaghe Rees' title bid off

But the Birmingham boxer suffered a devastating knock out from Lawrence Murphy in the first round of his first defence.

Farnell came back to destroy Murphy in three rounds earlier this year, but Lockett is confident he can come through a domestic middleweight scene that is there to be dominated.

Meanwhile, trainer Enzo Calzaghe says damaged weighing scales were to blame for the cancellation of Gavin Rees' shot at the WBO super-featherweight title.

The Newbridge boxer was due to meet Mike Anchondo at the American Airlines Arena, Dallas, on 15 July, but the British Boxing Board of Control ruled that Rees was not close enough to the 130lb limit to reduce his weight safely before the bout.

"Basically it seems the scales we used in training were 4lb out," Calzaghe told the Argus.

"I think our scales were damaged by kids jumping on them.

"There is no way I would let a guy fight unless he was 110% fit, I think his trainer is capable of deciding whether a lad is fit enough and he could have made the weight.

"It was the chance of a lifetime for Gavin but his chance will come again and he would have been up against it trying to win the title in America."

Rees will instead fight at lightweight on Saturday in Newport against Kenyan Michael Muya in a warm-up for Enzo Maccarinelli's encounter with Ismail Abdoul.