The first men’s title unification bout scheduled for 2023 is officially postponed.

BoxingScene.com has confirmed that Kenshiro ‘The Amazing Boy’ Teraji needs a new opponent for his April 8 headliner at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The lineal, WBC and WBA junior flyweight champion was due to face WBO titlist Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez, who was forced to withdraw from their three-belt unification after coming down with mycoplasma pneumonia.

“Bomba got sick and he is out of the fight,” Felix ‘Tutico’ Zabala Jr., Gonzalez’s promoter, confirmed to Boxing Scene. “They are looking for another opponent for Kenshiro.”

Potential replacement opponents include Los Angeles-bred rising flyweight Anthony Olascuaga (7-0, 6KOs)—who would drop down in weight—and Gerardo Zapata (14-1, 5KOs), a Nicaraguan junior flyweight based out of Miami. Zapata is currently due to fight April 14 in Panama City but would be available to make the switch should he land the assignment.

Gonzalez had to shut down training camp earlier this week and spent three days battling a fever, nasal decongestion, and shortness of breath. The reigning WBO junior flyweight titlist from Caguas, Puerto Rico gave in and saw a doctor after his health failed to improve. A test conducted at Hospital Ryder Memorial in Humacao on Thursday was positive for pneumonia, for which he was prescribed antibiotics, corticosteroids, decongestant, and antitussive medications.

“Absolute rest… recommended for seven days,” Dr. Guillermo Campos Silva instructed the 31-year-old Gonzalez in an official medical report obtained by Boxing Scene. “Upcoming boxing match is recommended to be postponed at least six weeks to ensure complete recovery from this Respiratory Tract Infection and adequate time to resume proper physical and boxing training.”

Rescheduling the bout could prove problematic.

The rest of the April 8 show is expected to proceed, though with Teraji in search of a new challenger for what will be the second defense of his second title reign. He regained the WBC junior flyweight title with a one-sided, third-round knockout of Masamichi Yabuki last March 19. The feat avenge his lone career defeat, a tenth-round knockout to Yabuki in their Fight of the Year contender last September 22, with both fights taking place in Kyoto. The loss ended Teraji’s first reign, dating back to May 2017 and with eight successful title defenses.

Teraji’s first defense was a stunningly one-sided, seventh-round knockout of then-unbeaten countryman and WBA titlist Hiroto Kyoguchi (16-1, 11KOs). Teraji made the first defense of his second WBC reign after he regained the belt last March and won the WBA title in their November 1 unification bout at Saitama (Japan) Super Arena.

The same show saw Gonzalez (27-3-1, 15KOs) defend his WBO belt for the second time following a twelve-round, unanimous decision victory over Tokyo’s Shokichi Iwata (9-1, 6KOs). 

An issue that could face any plans of rescheduling the bout is two mandatory challengers awaiting Teraji. Hekkie Budler is the WBC number-one contender dating back to his June 25 win over Elwin Soto and agreed to stand down only to allow the unification bout to proceed. The former unified titlist earned the WBC mandatory slot after a twelve-round decision win over Soto, whom Gonzalez previously dethroned to win the WBO belt.

Daniel Matellon (13-0-2, 7KOs) is the WBA number-one contender and has been vocal in demanding that the sanctioning body enforce his title shot. The 35-year-old Cuban—now based out of Panama City, Panama—held the now-defunct interim title and was since inserted in the number-one slot but has yet to hear when he will get his shot at the division’s top prize.

In the wake of the Teraji-Gonzalez fallout, the April 8 ESPN+ show is down to one title fight. Takuma Inoue is due to meet former WBA junior bantamweight titlist Liborio Solis (35-6-1, 16KOs) for the vacant WBA bantamweight title. The winner will be the first to fill the massive void left behind by Naoya Inoue (24-0, 21KOs), Takuma’s older brother and former undisputed bantamweight champion who is now competing at junior featherweight.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox