Samuel Peter attended the Super 8 heavyweight boxing card in Auckland, New Zealand, as an ambassador and not as a fighter following his withdrawal last month.
A calf injury affected the ‘Nigerian Nightmares’ preparation for the $500,000 purse event taking place at the Trusts Stadium.
Peter’s manager Ivaylo Gotez had said in May: “Fighting three times in a night is a physically different proposition to a one-off fight. With the cooling and inflamation between bouts it’s too great a risk.
“We want to showcase the best Samuel Peter possible, and this doesn’t allow the specific explosive training regime required to do that.”
The former WBC heavyweight champion was replaced by cruiserweight Hunter Sam (11-3, 4KOs) who lost to 44-year-old former world title challenger Kali Meehan (41-5, 32KOs) by three round split decision in the quarter-finals.
Meehan went on to win the inaugural eight-man Prizefighter-style heavyweight tournament on Wednesday night, courtesy of a spectacular first round KO over Britain’s Michael Sprott (42-22, 27 KOs).
The Kiwi prospect picked up the $200,000 winner’s check, Sprott pocketed $100,000 as the losing finalist.
Peter reportedly suffered the injury on 29th April, preventing the 33-year-old from making his return back to the ring, after a three-year hiatus.
