Sparring injury nixes Ishe Smith’s IBF title bout

The 34-year-old Las Vegas boxer suffered a cut over his right eye Friday while sparring in preparation for his July 19 IBF junior middleweight title fight against Carlos Molina at the Hard Rock Hotel.

The fight, scheduled to be televised by Showtime as the main event of a tripleheader, was called off Monday. Smith needed six stitches to close the wound and will take some time off as the cut heals.

“It was one of those freak things,” Smith said. “I was in the gym sparring, and I got thumbed in the eye, and it broke the skin above it. It was a pretty bad cut.

“I still wanted to fight, but (trainer) Eddie (Mustafa Muhammad) said no. So I’m going to take the next six weeks to heal up and get back in the gym.”

The other two fights, still will be shown on Showtime. Lightweights Mickey Bey and John Molina will meet, and super middleweights Badou Jack and Farah Ennis will square off in 10-round bouts.

Smith (25-5, 11 knockouts) won the title Feb. 23 with a 12-round majority decision over Cornelius Bundrage in Detroit, becoming the first native Las Vegan to win a world title. He wanted his first defense to be in his hometown.

Molina (21-5-2, six KOs) was the mandatory No. 1 challenger, and though it was considered a dangerous fight for Smith, he accepted it.

The fight hasn’t been rescheduled. Smith said he would love to be on the undercard of the Sept. 14 megafight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at the MGM Grand Garden.

“That would be perfect,” he said. “But I guess we’ll have to see how quickly the cut heals. I’m still disappointed I can’t fight (July 19). But things happen in boxing, and I want to make sure I’m 100 percent when I fight Molina.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.