US boxing trainer suffers ‘horrible attack’ during Flint weigh-in

LOS ANGELES, California: A prominent US boxing trainer was in hospital Friday night with head injuries after being viciously assaulted at a weigh-in in Flint, Michigan.

James Ali Bashir was punched from behind and knocked unconscious during the weigh-in at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center, US media reported.

The TMZ.com website said Michigan police have a suspect in custody but they did not provide any details.

Bashir was seen arguing with an unidentified person earlier in the weigh-in.

Bashir was at the weigh-in with his Croatian boxer Ivana Habazin who was scheduled to fight American Claressa Shields in a female contest on the Saturday night card.

The World Boxing Council said Friday night that the Habazin-Shields fight has been cancelled and that law enforcement officials were investigating.

“The WBC strongly condemns any act of violence in any event related to our sport, and specially the horrible attack which took place in an official activity surrounding this event,” the WBC said in a statement released on Twitter.