London, England – (October 2, 2021) – The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) having raised concerns over Anatoli Muratov’s pre-fight medicals, he is now unable to fight in tonight’s bout with Chris Eubank Jr. at the SSE Arena, Wembley.

With the health and safety of our boxers being of paramount concern and the remaining time frame allowing no possibility of finding a replacement opponent of suitable quality, the bout has been cancelled and Eubank will not be appearing on tonight’s card.

The highly anticipated European Welterweight Championship fight between David Avanesyan and Manchester’s Liam Taylor has been elevated to the top of the stacked card which includes the English Super-Middleweight title eliminator between Germaine Brown and Jamal Le Doux; the exciting return of Britain’s most exciting cruiserweight Richard Riakporhe; the pro-debut of elite amateur Ebonie Jones; the return of cruiserweight talent Mikael Lawal; dynamite-punching Joe Pigford; rising middleweight star Linus Udofia; hotly-tipped super bantamweight prospect Alireza Ghadiri and undefeated flyweight Harvey Horn.

“It is an extremely unfortunate situation for Chris. However, the health and safety of boxers is always our number one concern and at this late stage it has not been possible to find a suitable replacement,” said Kalle Sauerland, Head of Global Boxing at Wasserman.

“I know Chris was looking forward to fighting tonight at the The SSE Arena, Wembley and starring as the new face of Sky Sports Boxing. We are already in discussions regarding a new date for Chris and fans can expect to see him back in the ring very soon.”

Adam Smith, Sky Sports Head of Boxing, said, “I feel very strongly that first and foremost, the health and safety of all fighters is paramount.

“We’re hugely disappointed for Chris Eubank Jr, who has a big role to play in our new era on Sky Sports Boxing, and he will return on one of our shows in the coming weeks.

“David Avanesyan now tops tonight’s action-packed bill with his European title fight and we’ll bring you some of the most exciting talent in British boxing, with Richard Riakporhe, Ebonie Jones, and Germaine Brown all receiving their chance to shine on Sky Sports.”

“Obviously we are all disappointed that Chris Eubank Jr. can no longer compete on tonight’s card, but it is important to make the right decision in the interests of fighters’ health and safety. We’re grateful to the British Board of Boxing Control for the standards they employ to protect that,” said BOXXER’s Ben Shalom.

“My thoughts go out to Chris, who has had a very difficult time lately. He will come back stronger and remains a key figure in Sky Sports plans. Chris will be returning with a big fight in the next few weeks.

“Tonight’s card remains stacked with great fights from top to bottom, including the European Welterweight Championship bout in the main event, the English Super-Middleweight Title Eliminator bout between Germaine Brown and Jamal Ledoux and the return of top cruiserweight prospect Richard Riakporhe.”

WBA #7 Anatoli Muratov (24-2-1, 17 KOs) replaces Sven Elbir as the opponent for Chris Eubank Jr (30-2, 22 KOs) on October 2 at The SSE Arena, Wembley after Elbir tested positive for Covid-19.

The German-based Kazahk was on standby preparing for his own bout on October 9 when he got the call to step in. The WBA world-ranked number 7 now has a golden opportunity to force his way into World Title contention.

Muratov is a former WBA Intercontinental Middleweight Champion and German Super Middleweight Champion. He is undefeated in his last 17 contests and boasts an impressive KO record with over 60% of his wins coming inside the distance.

The 33-year-old is well-travelled having boxed away from home in Turkey, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary and the United States as well as in his native Germany throughout his 27-fight career.

“This is a fantastic moment for me,” said Muratov. “It will be an honour to fight at The SSE Arena, Wembley and to test my skills against a boxer like Chris Eubank Jr. I’m jumping on this opportunity because that is what warriors do.
Anytime, anyplace, I am ready to fight anyone. I’m looking forward to an exciting fight and a great night of boxing in London. I’m coming to win and I will give it my all.”

“The opponent has changed but my objective remains the same,” says Eubank Jr. “October 2 is my night and nothing is going to stand in my way!”

“First of all, I would like to wish Sven Elbir a speedy recovery,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland. “A change of opponent this close to a fight is never ideal but I know Chris remains focused on what he needs to do on Saturday night.

“Muratov was on standby. He was in the gym preparing for a fight next week when the opportunity came. He is well known in Germany and he is a serious contender. He is ranked number 7 in the world by the WBA and will pose a different set of problems that Chris will need to be ready for.”

“It’s unfortunate for Elbir he has had to withdraw due to Covid, but the change of opponent to the World ranked Muratov will make the fight a more interesting one. Muratov comes into the fight after some impressive wins and is highly of thought of in Germany. He has been in training and is coming in to win,” said BOXXER’s Ben Shalom.

Chris Eubank Jr tops the bill at The SSE Arena, Wembley on October 2 against Anatoli Muratov, live on Sky Sports. Tickets are available via AXS.com.