'I will be taking it out on my next opponent' - Dereham boxer

The Dereham fighter was the unfortunate victim of the boxer’s scourge – a late pull-out by an opponent, just hours before the scheduled fourth career fight at The Halls in Norwich on Friday.

Opponent Vanessa Caballero had a change of heart, caught a taxi from Norwich to Gatwick and flew back to Spain.

“I’m not very happy, to be honest,” said the 23-year-old Dolan. “I found out about 11am. I was in my room trying to pick out my ring walk and I got a call from (promoter) Mervyn (Turner) saying it was off. It’s heart-breaking in a way - I have done all the training coming to it, but that’s boxing.

“The fight was made seven weeks ago. I saw her and she didn’t believe the weight I was so I jumped on the scales in front of her – super flyweight, I weighed just over 52k and she was weighing about 57, 58. I said ‘fine, I don’t care what weight you are, I am happy to fight you’.

“I don’t know what happened then, it was just weird, but I see it as part of the learning curve.

“Hopefully I get out again soon – and when I do, I will be taking it out on my next opponent.”

Dereham boxer Emma Dolan (Image: Adam Fairbrother)

Dolan’s trainer Graham Everett said Caballero’s actions were “mind boggling”.

“Her opponent turned up on Thursday with her coach and something has happened overnight,” said Everett. “I don’t know if she turned up heavy or something like that. She apparently wasn’t comfortable. We knew she was heavier than Emma anyway, but we were quite happy to give the weight away. She, off her own back, with her trainer, got a taxi back to Gatwick and booked her own flight home.

“She has had 20 pro fights, boxing in this country five times. There is absolutely no reason for her to react like she did. It is mind-boggling, it really is. It is such a disappointment, but Emma has taken it well - there are a lot of girls out there who have had he fights cancelled.

“It is a really sad situation because she had worked so hard and so well.”