GWENT'S WBO world super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe's latest title defence at the Kings Hall Belfast tomorrow night was today sensationally cancelled.

But on this occasion it was nothing to do with any late withdrawal by the Newbridge southpaw - it followed a WBO (World Boxing Organisation) decision not to sanction the fight with Belfast's Brian Magee.

They have a rule which says a champion cannot make a voluntary defence less than sixty days before a mandatory defence.

Calzaghe has been ordered to make a mandatory defence against number one challenger Mario Veit in Germany on May 7 and, following a protest by the German promoters of that fight, Universum, the WBO ordered the Magee fight to be called off.

Universum won the $1,750,000 purse bid for the Calza-ghe/Veit fight, scheduled for Hamburg, a fortnight ago. Why Calzaghe's camp were not made aware tomorrow's fight would not be sanctioned before now is not known.

Calzaghe had originally said he would take the Veit fight provided he beat Magee and did not get a shot at new IBF world light-heavyweight champion Clinton Woods or world number one at that weight, Glen Johnson.

Calzaghe has already defeated Veit once, knocking him out in the first round in Cardiff in April 2001.

That remains Veit's only defeat in 46 contests, 23 won by KO, and he won the right to meet Calzaghe again when he won the WBO interim super-middleweight title by defeating Kabary Salem, later outpointed by Calzaghe, in May 2004.

Neither Calzaghe, his trainer/father Enzo nor promoter Frank Warren were available for comment this morning.

Eamonn Magee will now top the Belfast bill in his comeback WBU welterweight title fight against Denmark's Allan Vester.