DMX's George Zimmerman boxing bout cancelled

Plans to put rapper Dmx in a boxing ring with the infamous George Zimmerman have been shelved.

The hip-hop star had been approached to take part in a fight with former Neighborhood Watch volunteer Zimmerman, who was last year (13) acquitted of murdering unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida.

However, the promoter behind the bout has since decided to scrap the event after the inclusion of Zimmerman as a 'celebrity' prompted a backlash online.

DMX's publicist, Domenick Nati, confirmed the news in a statement, which reads, "(Promoter) Damon Feldman has announced that the George Zimmerman fight is cancelled via his Twitter. As previously stated, DMX never agreed to the fight and we thank you for all of the support from DMX's fans. This situation will not affect any of DMX's upcoming concerts in America or around the world."