Boxer's bad back ruins hopes of Ravenscraig show

Inverness ace Cornish had been due to become the first Scot to fight for the British heavyweight title, but he has now been denied the chance after opponent Sexton, of Norwich, withdrew citing a bad problem.

Gutted event promoter Paul Graham told the Motherwell Times: “The British Board of Control emailed me on Friday night to say it was off because Sexton had a sore back.

“I thought I had seen everything in my career, but this is something else. There were five other fights on the bill (including one for Bellshill welterweight JP McGuiness) but it wouldn’t have been fair on the sponsors to keep it on.

“My chin is on the floor at having to cancel. It’s a real disappointment for all the other boxers on the bill and Scottish fans in general, but it’s just too late draft in a replacement to face Gary in a fight of this magnitude.”

“I might not be the Old Firm in the world of boxing promoters, but I might be Hamilton Accies or Motherwell.

“Every so often Accies or ’Well get a run in the cup and this bill was my cup final.

“This would have been brilliant – a British heavyweight title fight in Motherwell.”

Paul, formerly a boxing referee for 16 years, started as a promoter in 2010 and had been relishing organising his biggest ever bill.

But the show - also due to feature McGuiness, Connor Law, Eddie Doyle, Rhys Pagan, McGuiness, Leon Roberts and Martin Taylor- has been axed after the call-off by ex-Commonwealth champ Sexton.

Although his plans have been ruined, Paul said he remained confident that the bill could be re-arranged to take place by October.

“I have the rights to stage this,” Paul added. “It will go ahead under my banner.”