By Mel "Sabaka" Ohlhoft

Heavyweight contenders Eddie Chambers (36-2, 18 KOs) and Tony Thompson (36-1, 24 KOs) are good friends, but the two boxers were scheduled to fight each other on October 28th in an IBF eliminator, which Showtime planned to carry as part of a televised tripleheader. Chambers suffered a back injury in training and officially withdrew on Wednesday.

The two boxers are such good friends that Chambers apologized to Thompson for not giving him immediate notification of the fight being canceled. Chambers hopes the fight can be rescheduled before the year is out.

"I thought I was going to be able to perform by getting massages and nutrition. I went to the doctor [and he] said I have I have a bad strain in my lower back and that I need time off. Too close in the fight, and against opposition like [Thompson] I need to be 100%. But my fault for not hitting [Thompson] up last night when I was noticed about my back. Hopefully we can do something before this year is over," Chambers said.

Thompson is obviously upset, and believes Chambers knew about the injury much earlier.

"Sounds like [Chambers] knew earlier and [Chambers] knows what we put into getting ready for a fight....the money, the time away from family, and both [of us] were not getting much for the fight - so the money we put into it is our own. Why wait so long if this was bothering you before. [Chambers] knows [he] can talk to me and it would have stayed private," Thompson replied.