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Caoimhin Agyarko’s manager Paul Ready says he is putting a “strong case” to the IBF that his man should now take on light-middleweight champion Josh Kelly with Saturday’s final eliminator cancelled as Brandon Adams fell ill prior to Friday’s weigh-in.<\/b><\/p>\n
Agyarko and Adams were due to fight for a shot at the title held by Sunderland’s Kelly, but before the fighters were due to hit the scales ahead of Saturday’s top of the bill fight at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Adams collapsed and was taken to hospital.<\/p>\n
The symptoms of Adams’ collapse have yet to be confirmed, but the 36-year-old was immediately ruled out of Saturday’s fight with Agyarko’s manager Ready saying “his health is most important so we wish him a speedy recovery”, but feels the 29-year-old Belfast man should move on.<\/p>\n
“It’s not unfair to say Brandon Adams can’t make 154 [pounds] again so we aren’t ready to gamble if that is possible in the future,” Ready told BBC Sport NI.<\/p>\n
“We’d love to jump in and fight Josh Kelly next and I’ll lobby that to the IBF and Daryl Peoples [IBF President and CEO] so that’s our position.<\/p>\n
“Adams may want to reschedule, but as a team that’s not something we’re interested in as he needs to demonstrate he can make the weight and he can’t by the evidence today.”<\/p>\n
Agyarko’s former Holy Trinity amateur gym-mate and reigning IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker is due to travel to face mandatory challenger Liam Paro in Australia.<\/p>\n
Paro was due to face Ireland’s Paddy Donovan in a final eliminator in January before Donovan withdrew due to illness, prompting the IBF to install the former light-welterweight world champion as next in line.<\/p>\n
Ready feels the sanctioning body should apply consistency and therefore order Kelly to face Agyarko next.<\/p>\n
“I’ve put a very strong case forward and fired an email to Josh Kelly’s promoters, so let’s see what happens,” he confirmed.<\/p>\n
“We’re strongly pushing that position now, but hopefully Caoimhin gets some luck and vindication.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n