Delay sought in Chris John bout

Delay sought in Chris John bout

JAKARTA: After two reschedulings, World Boxing Association featherweight champion Chris John is seeking another delay in his mandatory defense against Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.

Fight promoter HM Arsyad said on Tuesday he would seek a Feb. 4 bout next year, in Tenggarong, East Kalimantan, due to an injury to the Indonesian fighter.

"I will notify the WBA about the date," Arsyad was quoted as saying by Antara news service.

The bout was originally scheduled for Dec. 10 but was delayed until Dec. 17 at the request of the organizers, who said they wanted to promote tourism to the area in conjunction with the event.

Chris, who is trained by Australian Craig Christian, reportedly injured his hand during training at Harry's Gym in Perth and will need three weeks to recover. -- JP