Boxing: Hamed has to lower his sights

Naseem Hamed's ambition of winning all four world featherweight title belts is beginning to look a distant dream.

Hamed has been forced to give up his International Boxing Federation title rather than go through with a mandatory defence against California's Hector Lizarraga - a fight his promoter Frank Warren describes as "meaningless".

The World Boxing Council holder, Luis Espinosa, has told Warren that Hamed is not on his agenda until next summer, while the World Boxing Association champion Wilfredo Vasquez is demanding too much money to trade punches with Hamed, the World Boxing Organisation champion.

Warren will now promote Hamed against an opponent to be named later at Sheffield Arena on 11 October - also under serious consideration is a fight against the WBO super-bantamweight champion, Junior Jones, later this year.