Cut delays Sutherland return
08 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle
Darren Sutherland has been pulled from the Tony Jeffries-headlined bill in Sunderland on Friday night.
The Irish super-middleweight suffered a minor cut to his right cheek during his fourth-round TKO of Gennadiy Rasalev last Tuesday week and, as a precautionary measure, promoter Frank Maloney has decided to delay Sutherlands return to the ring until July 24, on a card at the George Carnall Centre in Manchester.
“It was touch and go whether Darren boxed on Friday, but we decided not to take the risk, Maloney explained.
“I have one other show this month and Darren can go on that before taking a well earned summer rest.”
There had been speculation that the decision to remove Sutherland from the Jeffries bill was taken immediately after the Rasalev fight.
Not so, according to Maloney.
“That is utter rubbish and those stories didn’t come from Darren or any of his team, he fumed.
“The decision was made on Monday when I returned from a business trip to Portugal and had there not been the show in Leigh, I may well have left Darren on in Sunderland.”
Tickets for the Leigh show are available at 90 and 45 from all fighters, 0871 226 1508 and www.frankmaloney.com. Those who buy from the website will receive a discount.
