Former Manchester United star Patrice Evra’s boxing debut has been postponed.
The 40-year-old was set to take his first steps into the ring later this month on the undercard of Martyn Ford’s heavyweight clash with Sajad Gharibi, better known as the Iranian Hulk. Evra was due to face social media star Adam Saleh on the April 30 show at the O2 Arena in London.
However, promoters Boxstar have announced the event has been postponed until further notice following the collapse of the main event. The decision was confirmed in a statement released by the celebrity boxing company on Sunday
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"Boxstar are regrettably postponing the planned event on April 30. The announcement comes after the headline fight was cancelled earlier this week.
"To lose such a big (in every sense of the word) main event has understandably been a blow to the event and to the fans.
"Due to this, rather than pushing ahead with the April 30, we have instead made the difficult decision to postpone the event. Anyone who has bought tickets for the April 30 show will be entitled to a full refund."
Evra, who retired from professional football in 2019, had been training hard for his boxing debut in preparation for the fight against Saleh. The former United defender had posted a number of videos of himself sparring on his social media accounts in the build-up to the fight.
Speaking about his move into boxing, Evra told Boxstar earlier this year: “I'm really excited to participate for the first time ever in my life in a boxing match, because I always had so much respect for people boxing. It is not just about power and strength, it is also about strategy and technique – it’s like a chess game.
"What I am the most excited for is the training technique, because the way they train is completely different to how football players train. I am really excited to work hard, to challenge myself, and to get out of my comfort zone.
"It is a massive opportunity for me. Of course, I want to have fun, like with everything I do, but I also want to make sure I show that I respect this sport."
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