Garcia vs. Lipinets is Off, Pushing Back the Entire Show

According to multiple reports, IBF 140-pound champion Sergey Lipinets suffered a hand injury in training and his Feb. 10 bout with Mikey Garcia at the Alamodome in San Antonio is off. Moreover, the entire card – a deep card with an international flavor — has been postponed. At least that’s the word from co-promoter Richard Schaefer.

In a conversation with ESPN’s Dan Rafael, Schaefer said Lipinets injury appears to be a sprain; no broken bones. Schaefer said he is hopeful that the entire card can be patched back together in a few weeks.

When they eventually meet (assuming no intervening complications), Lipinets (13-0, 10 KOs) will be making his first title defense. Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs), the WBC world lightweight champion, will be pursuing a world title in a fourth weight class.

The Feb. 10 show, to be televised on SHOWTIME, was designed as a showcase for boxers who compete at 140 pounds. The co-main event pitted Rances Barthelemy (26-0, 13 KOs) in a rematch with Kiryl Relikh (21-2, 19 KOs). At stake was the vacant WBA 140-pound title. Local fan favorite Mario Barrios, who also fights at 140, was penciled in for an off-TV bout. Barrios (20-0, 12 KOs) was matched against Eudy Bernardo (23-2, 17 KOs).

There were going to be four 12-round contests in all. Ghana’s Richard Commey (25-2, 22 KOs) was pitted against California’s Alejandro Luna (22-0, 15 KOs) in a match conceived as a lightweight title eliminator. A 12-round welterweight affair matched Philadelphia’s Ray Robinson (24-2, 12 KOs) against Cuban defector Yordenis Ugas (20-3, 9 KOs).

If the postponement lasts longer than expected, some of these matches will inevitably unravel. And that could factor into Bob Arum’s planned show in April, assuming that Arum was telling the truth when he told a Las Vegas Review-Journal sportswriter that there was a chance that Manny Pacquiao would appear on the same show on which Jeff Horn defends his WBO welterweight title against heavily favored Terence Crawford.

It is widely assumed that Pacquiao’s farewell fight will come against Crawford. If Pac-Man were to appear on Arum’s April show, it would presumably be in a stay-busy fight. Ray Robinson (nicknamed “The New” Ray Robinson) would be a very good fit.

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