Stephen Fulton Jr. failed to make weight for his scheduled bout against Liam Wilson in Sydney, forcing officials to cancel the fight entirely on Friday. The former two-division champion suffered a disastrous weight cut, torpedoing the high-profile undercard contest.
The fight collapsed after days of desperate drama behind the scenes. Fulton missed a media workout while trying to shed pounds, eventually asking for a catchweight of 133 pounds to save the contest. Promoters pushed him to try reaching the original 130-pound limit.
But his body simply gave out.
Fulton opened up about the struggle before the official plug was pulled: “I mentioned something about it, a ‘behind the doors’ type of thing. It was (an official request), but I had to make the weight, no matter what. (In response, promoters told him) ‘Try to make the weight.’ And that’s what I’m doing, and that’s what I did. That’s why I didn’t come yesterday ’cause I’m sitting here trying to make the weight. I’d rather miss a media workout than not fight. I’m trying to save the card and my slot, so that’s why I didn’t show up yesterday.”
It was the second straight fight where Fulton suffered severe weight issues at junior lightweight. Now, he is officially done struggling on the scales at 130. He declared: “I would most likely campaign as a lightweight moving forward,”
The decision leaves Wilson empty-handed despite acting like a total professional throughout the entire mess. Wilson had even agreed to accept the late catchweight increase to keep the match alive. He said: “I only worry about what happens on my side of the fence, what’s happens on his side is up to him. I’ve fought guys like him before. They’ve come in heavy. They don’t work that hard, or they think they have an advantage over you. Whatever it may be if he needs to be a better version of himself coming in heavy, so be it,”
He added: “If anything, it’s kind of relieving, less weight to lose. I’m a professional. 130 was the weight limit, and I was prepared to make that weight, but less weight to lose is better for me.”
This cancellation deals another massive blow to the Tim Tszyu vs. Errol Spence Jr. undercard in Australia. The show had already lost Jermall Charlo’s bout against Koen Mazoudier earlier in the week. Fulton must now reinvent himself up at 135 pounds, while Wilson is left searching for a fresh opponent after a wasted training camp.
