Ramirez title defense off as O’Connor hospitalised

LOS ANGELES, California: Jose Ramirez’s first defense of his World Boxing Council super lightweight world title was called off Friday as challenger Danny O’Connor was hospitalised with severe dehydration.

The WBC said in a brief item on their website that the bout scheduled for Saturday in Fresno, California, had been called off after O’Connor “suffered various dehydration symptoms during the official weighing,” adding that he was taken to hospital.

A post on the Facebook page of O’Connor’s promoter — Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing — said emergency medical personnel were called when O’Connor collapsed upon leaving a sauna Friday.

O’Connor’s Twitter feed later carried a post showing a picture of the fighter in hospital, with a message.

“Heartbreaking to be rushed to the hospital and deemed medically unfit to fight the day before fighting for my first world title,” he posted.