The Epic Entertainment promotion fight card scheduled for November 6 and featuring Nikki Bascome as the headliner in his return to the ring has been delayed until the new year because of the Covid pandemic.

Organiser Teiko Furbert said the decision to put the fight night back to January 29 was for safety reasons.

“This is not the time and not reflective of what we do for the community,” Furbert said yesterday. “Everybody is grieving, in a sense, and we are a community event and I would like to keep my athletes protected as well.

“This is not the time, even when you look at sponsorship. There is a long list of concerns that we have and with our community partners we would like to give it a rest for now. We took their advice and have acted accordingly.”

Bascome was anxious to get back into the ring in the first pro boxing card in Bermuda in more than 18 months.

After he secured a unanimous points decision in a super-lightweight bout against Ryan Oliver at the Fairmont Southampton in January 2020, Bascome has had few opportunities to get back into the ring because of the global pandemic. His hopes of adding to his record of nine wins in ten professional fights will now have to wait another couple of months.

Furbert feels delaying the fight night could be a positive move. “We get to promote without coming across as insensitive,” he said. “That’s the biggest problem I’ve found; me promoting and people going to funerals.

“We’ve put in for the date to be changed and the Government has approved us, with terms and conditions attached. That gives us confidence to move forward and make it happen.”

Also on the card will be local professionals Andre Lambe and Mikey Parsons, with Tyler Christopher, who made his pro debut in England last weekend, another for consideration.