November 4th Showtime card collapses, Julio Cesar Martinez vs McWilliams Arroyo postponed for fifth time

To those who questioned me when I called Julio Cesar Martinez vs McWilliams Arroyo the most cursed matchup in boxing: did I f***ing stutter?

Earlier today, ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez confirmed reports that the bout, which was slated to co-headline a November 4th Showtime show led by Subriel Matias vs Shohjahon Ergashev, is now targeted for a hypothetical December 9th card featuring Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, and a Floyd Mayweather exhibition. It got weirder, however, when Jake Donovan added that the entire card is kaput.

That leaves the score at three cancellations because of Martinez, one because of Arroyo, and one because of what appears to be spectacular ball-fumbling on Showtime’s part. I’ll also give half a cancellation to the headbutt that ended their one actual meeting after two rounds.

Losing Martinez-Arroyo was inevitable, but you’ve got to feel for Matias. Josh Taylor squatting on the belt delayed Matias’ fight with Jeremias Ponce for ages, only for him to then run into a snarl with Ergashev and Sergey Lipinets that’s kept him out of action since February. It’s criminal that we’ve seen him just three times in the last three years.