 Pickering would have been making his second world title shot |
Esham Pickering has pulled out of his IBF featherweight title fight with unbeaten Brazilian Valdemir Pereira. Newark-born Pickering, 29, whose record reads 29-4 with 11 KOs, was to fight on the undercard of Ricky Hatton's first American bout in Boston on 13 May.
But he damaged a rib in sparring and has been forced to withdraw.
Trainer John Ingle said: "We were told it wasn't serious but it has not got any better and one punch to that area would have ended the fight."
Pickering lost his European and Commonwealth super bantamweight crowns to British champion Michael Hunter on a majority decision last October.
The switch-hitter had been training in Gran Canaria, Spain, for what would have been his second stab at a world title, following his loss to WBO bantamweight champion Mauricio Martinez.
MMIX
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