Golden Contract: Razaq Najib replaces Carlos Araujo in Friday's featherweight quarter-finals
"Najib will be prepared and ready to seize his chance"
Thursday 3 October 2019 13:20, UK
Razaq Najib has received a dramatic late entry into The Golden Contract quarter-finals as he replaces Mexican Carlos Araujo who pulled out due to illness.
Sheffield's Najib steps in to face Tyrone McCullagh when Friday's featherweight competition begins at York Hall, Bethnal Green, live on Sky Sports.
Araujo fell ill after originally being picked by the Northern Irishman at Tuesday's draw, but 'Lionheart' Najib now receives the chance to battle for a lucrative five-fight deal in the MTK Global event.
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MTK Global Professional Development Coordinator Jamie Conlan said: "This is obviously disappointing for Araujo and his team but the beneficiary is Najib, who now has a chance to change his life.
"We saw a lot of drama in the draw down at Repton the other day in front of the Sky Sports cameras and now we have some more in this latest twist. Najib will be prepared and ready to seize his chance.
"Of course, it's another twist for Tyrone McCullagh as well. He'll have been preparing for Araujo the last few days, studying him and now he has to adjust his sights again. Who knows what's going to happen."
McCullagh said: "Obviously I've been getting ready for Araujo and now I have to quickly reset with Najib my late-notice opponent.
"I've said all along that it doesn't really matter who I fight. I've had that attitude from the very start so from that perspective, I plan to beat Najib the same as I planned to beat Araujo and then go on to claim the whole thing."
Leigh Wood also faces Davey Oliver Joyce in the quarter-finals, with Jazza Dickens against Carlos Ramos and Hairon Socarras takes on Ryan Walsh.
Watch The Golden Contract featherweight quarter-finals on Friday, from 8pm on Sky Sports Action.
