Julio Cesar Martinez back in training, wants spot on Canelo-Saunders card

Snakebit WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez, who’s pulled out of three fights in the last eight months, is eager to return to action. Trainer Mauricio Aceves tells ESPN KnockOut that his charge is back in the gym after his most recent setback and would “love” to join Canelo Alvarez’s May 8th clash against Billy Joe Saunders.

Should he get his wish, he’ll almost certainly take on Puerto Rico’s McWilliams Arroyo, whom he’s already been booked to face twice. The first time, Martinez (17-1, 13 KO) pulled out of their August 15th DAZN main event with a throat infection. The second time, he injured his hand ahead of what was supposed to be the February 27th Canelo-Yildirim co-feature, leaving Arroyo to crush last-second replacement Abraham Rodriguez for the interim title.

In between, he also withdrew from a slot on the December Canelo-Smith card with “non-COVID illness”

Martinez is unquestionably one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport, so let’s hope he figuratively (or literally) exorcises the assorted issues that have kept him on the shelf for so long.