World title hunter Henry Wharton has been struck a devastating hammer-blow.

The big-hitting ring ace - re-launching his world title assault as a light-heavyweight - has been floored by an injury first sustained in his American debut six weeks ago.

Wharton's scheduled first British appearance as a light-heavyweight after his comfortable points victory over North Carolina's Franklin Edmondson had been ringed in for a June 9 showdown in Hull. But now it's been KO'd.

And it is unlikely the York gladiator will be back in action before September at the earliest as he nurses his stricken left hand, which has ballooned again after a jolting rap suffered in training at his own gymnasium.

Wharton was sparring with his trainer Gary Atkin when he let loose a fierce left. The punch cannoned into Atkin's hip-bone and instantly Wharton pulled away in distress.

Recalled Atkin: "I hauled the glove off and you could see straight away that he had damaged the same knuckle that he first injured against Franklin Edmondson in Atlantic City.

"There's just no way we can take a chance with an injury like that. What he needs is treatment and rest and so we have had to pull him out of next month's fight in Hull."

Atkin said that with Wharton possibly just two successful engagements away from a major title clash at light-heavyweight there was no way the fighter could take a chance.

"It's pointless going in to box say, another American and then having the injury go in the first round. That would send us ten steps back and leave Henry with a lot of climbing to do."

So Atkin contacted promoter Frank Maloney to confirm Wharton's withdrawal from the undercard of the spicy European featherweight duel between Scarborough's Paul Ingle and the champion, Sunderland's Billy Hardy, at Hull Ice Arena on June 9.

"It's a big blow as Henry was well into his training regime and was looking forward to fighting in this country again. But the knuckle is still very badly swollen with the damage done to a tendon under it," said Atkin.

Wharton is undergoing four daily sessions of ice treatment as well as regular visits to a specialist. However, he is continuing to do some running, weights and shadow boxing to keep in trim.

The York star first hurt his hand in the third round of his Atlantic City collision with Edmondson when a clubbing punch caught the former cruiserweight on the top of his head.

Wharton's likely comeback in a second crack at the light-heavyweight division will now have to wait until autumn.

Maloney does have a date in September for the next defence of Lennox Lewis' World Boxing Council world heavyweight championship against Croatia's Zeljko Mavrovic.

Still to go to purse offers, should Maloney win the cash-battle to stage the fight he has targeted either London or Marbella as potential venues.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.