GREENOCK boxing star John Simpson has been hit with a dramatic last-minute change of opponent for his upcoming fight.

It was announced earlier in the week that he would be taking on reigning WBO inter-continental champion Anthony Crolla in a lightweight showdown at the SECC in Glasgow on Saturday 1 March.

But with just over a fortnight to go until the clash, Crolla has had to suddenly pull out due to injury.

The Manchester lightweight sustained a nasty cut during his build-up work on Wednesday night and had no option but to withdraw.

But John, 30, will not be left idle, as another tough opponent was immediately lined up for him — Englishman John Murray.

The 29-year-old has been drafted in at short notice by promoters — but John believes he will actually prove an even more difficult opponent than the heavily-hyped Crolla. John said: “Crolla ended up getting 12 stitches because of a cut — I only found out about it yesterday.

“They’ve certainly thrown me another big name with Murray.

“He’s won European and British titles and in my opinion this will be a harder fight, even though some people don’t think so because he’s only done four rounds in two years.

“But Murray is a bigger hitter than Crolla would have been and I am not a natural lightweight.

“Murray’s also been in with some of the best — he took on Brandon Rios, who fought Manny Pacquiao, and he was well in that fight.

“Some people are saying that’s maybe taken it out of him, I don’t know.

“But I have never duked a fight before and I am not going to start doing it now.” The late change of opponent is the latest disruption in John’s build-up, as he had to wait until three weeks from fight night to be confirmed on the bill in the first place.

He has also acknowledged that another lighweight encounter would not have been his first choice, with a return to super-featherweight his preferred route.

The Simpson v Murray bout is on the undercard of John’s friend and fellow Scot Ricky Burns’ 10th world title fight — and he says his own preparation has been going well.

He has been training at Billy Nelson’s HQ and explained the reason for the switch from his normal Greenock base with Danny Lee.

John said: “Danny is a fantastic trainer but it’s just that his gym is very busy with all the amateur lads just now, so it’s been a bit quieter for me to move to Billy Nelson. I’d been sparring before I agreed to the fight and have done 40 rounds. I will get 30 more rounds in, so I should be sharp.” l John would like to thank his sponsors, Dunn’s MOT Testing, and Phil Paul of Clyde Injury Clinic.