Boxing: Scan leaves Jones' future in limbo

IT should have been the biggest night in Barry Jones' fighting life. Top billing on Sky television in the first defence of his World Boxing Organisation title in Paris for a purse of pounds 60,000. But then the results of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan knocked out that rich prospect, as they proved unsatisfactory.

The Cardiff super-featherweight was sadly withdrawn from the fight against the Frenchman, Julien Lorcy, and his career is now in limbo while he awaits a second opinion from the medics.

The exclusion of Jones gave Antrim's Mark Winters the opportunity to take over the TV spot in his bid to win a Lonsdale Belt outright at York Hall, Bethnal Green, tonight.

Jones said: "From an utterly selfish point of view, Spencer Oliver's situation last week is not the best thing that could have happened to me. It's great that he's making a full recovery, but again it is going to put enormous pressure on doctors and the Board. Under the present climate I can't see anyone being too keen to give me the green light."

Sky relocated their operation from the Bercy area of Paris to London's East End, the neighbourhood of Winters' British light-welterweight title challenger, 27-year-old Jason Rowland.

Winters won the vacant title in an ill-fated fight against Carl Wright in Sheffield last October, after which the Liverpool fighter underwent brain surgery, but is happily making a full recovery.

Roland, defeated just once in 22 fights, will be relying on his jab to match Winters' high work rate, but the 1994 Commonwealth Games silver- medallist's industry should be rewarded with a points verdict - and the coveted Lonsdale prize.