Stephen Fulton Jr. failed to make weight for the second time in as many fights, forcing the 11th-hour cancellation of his scheduled bout against Australia's Liam Wilson on Saturday in Sydney, the latest blow to the Errol Spence Jr.-Tim Tszyu card.
Fulton, a two-division world champion, tipped the scales at 139.5 pounds at Friday's official weigh-in, 6.5 pounds heavier than the 133-pound catchweight limit the contest had been raised to earlier in the week on Fulton's request.
The fight had initially been announced as a WBA super featherweight title eliminator.
"This feels like an absolute stitch-up," said Glenn Jennings, Wilson's manager. "We sign a contract at 130, there's an expectation you will deliver. It's totally unacceptable and a blight on the sport. This is unprofessional. There's nowhere to go for this bloke now."
Fulton, a native of Philadelphia, took to social media later Friday to dispute accusations that he had no intention of making weight.
"Why would I fly all the way to Australia with no intentions to make weight," Fulton wrote on his X account. "Is it my fault yes and I take accountability, but I gave it my all! Once I got to 138 I wasn't sweating any more. I thought and believed I could make the weight."
The fight between Fulton and Wilson had been elevated to co-main event status on the blockbuster Spence-Tszyu card after Jermell Charlo's bout against Koen Mazoudier was canceled when Charlo, who is American, had his Australian visa denied.
The cancellation marked the second consecutive fight in which Fulton was unable to make weight. In December, Fulton weighed in 2 pounds over the junior lightweight limit in his fight against WBC champion O'Shaquie Foster. The fight was ultimately sanctioned as an interim lightweight title bout at 135 pounds, and Fulton lost by unanimous decision.
