KHALIL COE took to social media just yesterday, revealing that he has been forced to pull out of his upcoming showdown with Jesse Hart due to an injury.
The pair were supposed to collide at the Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, on October 11, with their light-heavyweight encounter featuring on the undercard of Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs Uisma Lima.
An ‘ongoing injury’ to Coe, 10-1-1 (8 KOs), however, has left Hart, 31-3 (25 KOs), scrambling around for a late-notice opponent, hoping to keep his place on the Matchroom Boxing show.
“I want to apologise to everyone that was coming to see me go to battle [on] October 11, [but he’s had to withdraw] due to an ongoing injury,” Coe wrote on his Instagram story yesterday.
“However there will still be a lot of fireworks on the card. Stay tuned and I love and appreciate everyone who supports me.”
Coe’s manager, David McWater, has told multiple media outlets that the 29-year-old suffered damage to his hand, which seemingly represents a genuine concern for his career moving forward.
Nevertheless, the American had hoped to return to action later this month, eager to build on his momentum following a clinical sixth-round finish over Manuel Gallegos in May.
Back then, ‘Big Steppa’ was able to respond to his previous stoppage defeat against Gallos in impressive fashion, perhaps signalling that a new chapter in his story was beginning to unfold.
It should therefore arrive as particularly frustrating news that he is no longer facing Hart, who still appears to be gearing up for his first proper outing in 18 months.
The 36-year-old has, in fairness, been involved in multiple one-round bouts this year – competing in something called the Team Combat League – but has not fought in a legitimate boxing match since his fifth-round finish over Daniel Aduku in April 2024.
And with Hart now searching for a replacement opponent, perhaps the veteran will be forced to wait even longer for another opportunity to shine.
