Michael Hunter gets new opponent for December 18th return

Unfortuantely for the freakshow fans among us, we won’t get to see Michael Hunter try and navigate a >100-pound weight disadvantage a week from Friday. Dan Rafael reports that original foe Chauncy Welliver is out, leaving “The Bounty” Hunter to face West Virginia’s Shawn Laughery.

Laughery (10-3, 6 KO) is a West Virginian club fighter who’s fought three times since 2016 and generally competes at cruiserweight or below, weighing in at 210 for his April 2019 heavyweight tussle. In no way, shape, or form should he be fighting a guy in Hunter (18-1-1, 12 KO) who gave Alexander Povetkin everything he could handle. At least Welliver had size and experience on his side.

I’ve shot the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration’s Greg Alvarez an email asking why they’re allowing such a mismatch. I’ll update this piece if I hear back.

The FITE PPV, which will run you $24.99, features former super middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez against Alfonso Lopez in the main event.