Rolled ankle spoils Justis Huni’s US boxing debut

Justis Huni’s first professional boxing foreign foray is over before it started after rolling his ankle in sparring.

The unbeaten Australian heavyweight (7-0) was set to return to the ring on June 17 in New Orleans against Andrew Tabiti (20-1), on a card originally headlined by fellow Queenslander Liam Paro in a WBC world title fight.

Both those fighters have since pulled out, Huni joining Paro (achilles tendonitis) on the injury list after a training mishap just days before he was due to fly to the United States.

Huni’s Gold Coast-based manager Mick Francis was already in the US ahead of the bout, which was to be his first since joining Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom promotions table.

The 24-year-old hasn’t fought since a bruising points decision over Kiki Leutele in November when he suffered more knuckle soreness, and had initially planned to have four fights this year.