NILE RANGER has had to WITHDRAW from his boxing match against Jay Emmanuel-Thomas at the last minute.

The ex-Newcastle striker was set to face former Arsenal player Emmanuel-Thomas, 35, in the headline event at Pro Project Promotions’ A Night to Remember III this evening.

Prior to the fight, medical examinations raised alarms about Ranger’s blood pressure.

As a result, doctors concluded that the 35-year-old should not participate in the fight.

Promoter and former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack stated to SunSport: “If fighters fail to meet certain requirements and aren’t fit to fight, we won’t take any chances or risks.

“Unfortunately, Nile Ranger’s blood pressure was excessively high. After checking him again an hour and a half later, it remained too elevated.

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“We must heed their advice because we want to ensure no one gets hurt. The safety of the fighters is our priority.”

This development is disappointing for the organizers of the charity event, who had featured the two fighters at the top of the lineup.

It will also be quite frustrating for the competitors, who had dedicated weeks to training hard and ensuring they were in peak condition.

In the pre-fight press conference, they exchanged barbs and expressed eagerness to start delivering punches in the ring.

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Emmanuel-Thomas told SunSport previously: “I’m going to do my thing and he’ll have to deal with it.

“I’m not concerned about what he’s bringing to the ring, but he’s definitely worried about what I will deliver.”

The bout between ex-Newcastle defender Sebastien Bassong and former Arsenal player Armand Traore has now been elevated to main event status.