Jorge Linares Tests Positive for COVID-19: Fight Canceled By DAZN

Former three-weight world champion boxer Jorge Linares has tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, his upcoming bout has been rescheduled. The Venezuelan fighter was booked to face Javier Fortuna in a bout that had the boxing community excited. Chiefly, the reports came in via ESPN that confirmed DAZN’s August 28 Fight card was tabled for a September date.

The pandemic has played spoiler to several anticipated match-ups and feature bouts that were slated at various intervals. Moreover, getting short-notice replacements has become as challenging as ever. The 19-0 fighter in Hector Tanajara was approached to replace Linares in the aforementioned scheduled bout. However, he declined, citing a desire to have more time to prepare.

Jorge Linares vs Javier Fortuna

The 52-fight veteran in Linares was looking to build off his two-fight run and put a statement performance against Fortuna. He has suffered two defeats in his last 5 outings to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Pablo Cesar Cano. These were his first losses since his 2011-12 run, where he contested for WBC gold.

The Orthodox fighter has proven himself to be a dangerous campaigner at the age of 35, despite his TKO setbacks. Linares possess a stylistic puzzle that makes it very challenging to look sharp against him under the bright lights. Considering this, he was keen to build off his recent KO win over Carlos Morales in Anaheim, California.

The 35-2-1 fighter in Javier Fortuna will be counting down the clock to run his main event feature against Linares. ‘El Abejon’ has faced some adversity throughout his career, whether it be critical weight misses or his recent No contest. His hopes will lay on a quick turnaround coupled with an emphatic victory over the veteran.

Furthermore, DAZN’s recent fight card cancellation deprived a number of fan-friendly match-ups of taking place. The co-headlining event on the card was on the path towards Rashidi Ellis and Brad Solomon. Moreover, boxers like Lamont Roach Jr, Marlen Esparza, all had a role in building an exciting card.

Combat sports fanatics will be hoping to see the aforementioned fights stay intact in their entirety.