Chris Male pulls out of Murray fight

Cradley's Chris Male has pulled out of his English featherweight title fight against Joe Murray next week with a suspected torn rotator cuff.

The two had been set to compete for the vacant belt next Saturday night on the Sky Sports televised bill at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton.

But Male needs an MRI scan after sustaining the injury sparring with Stourbridge's Steven Pierce and has had to rest completely.

It's the second time it has been called off at short notice, nine months after Ricky Hatton's promotional company won the purse bids to stage the fight.

Orginially, the bout was set to take place in November but the show was moved from Newport in Wales to Manchester, then cancelled completely.

And a devastated Male today explained what caused the damage to the left side of his body - where the 29-year-old throws his punches from, as well.

He said: "I threw a left hook and collided with my sparring partner's right hand and it shot my shoulder right out of the joint.

"It went back in but I haven't been able to train at all, they have told me I need total rest for a couple of weeks.

"I need an MRI scan, which I am having done privately, and it could just be a bad muscle pull, I hope it is.

"It could be something worse, I just don't know."