Amir Khan's bout with Kell Brook is still set to go ahead next month despite the British Boxing Board of Control suspending the sport in January.
The new year has started with schedule issues in boxing for the third year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no bouts taking place in the UK at the start of 2022.
While there were warnings that this could occur, leaving many promoters to leave the month clear on their calendar, it did result in another delay for Chris Eubank Jr's bout with Liam Williams in Cardiff.
That suspension is due to end when the month comes to a close, though there has been concerns that the regulations could be extended if the situation with the virus doesn't improve.
While that is still possible and depends on meetings that are planned for the coming weeks, the BBBoC's general secretary Robert Smith is confident February, and Khan vs Brook in Manchester, can go ahead as planned.
“ Amir Khan vs Kell Brook, I’m confident, I have a doctors’ meeting tomorrow. We will be commencing again in February," he told TalkSport.
"I am sure that contest will go ahead, as long as the government don’t change anything in regards to crowds. Come February, they’ll be able to do shows and we’ll take it from there.
“I’m confident this is the right thing to do. I’m advised by the doctors, I have to take the advice. If you’ve got the doctors, you need to listen to what they’re saying. Those decisions are hard decisions to make, but that’s why we govern a sport.”
Boxing's suspension comes at a time when other sports are continuing to go ahead but Smith says the situation is different and, ultimately, it doesn't affect boxing too much.
“We’ve got Jurgen Klopp not being able to go to a football match because of COVID, you’ve got players unable to take part in matches because of COVID, but they can be replaced. In boxing, they can’t.
“Ultimately if something happens with regards to the virus or any contact with anybody, that’s the show finished. The decision the board have made – which I fully support – is, ‘Let’s have a circuit breaker for a month.’
“It’s only two weeks ultimately because no boxing generally happens in the first two weeks of January. We’ll get going again in February.”
