Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images
After a thoroughly frustrating 2020, flyweight mauler Julio Cesar Martinez will return to action in a major spotlight. ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez reports that “Rey” will defend his WBC title against mandatory challenger McWilliams Arroyo on the February 27th Canelo Alvarez-Avni Yildirim DAZN show.
As mentioned when the WBC ordered it last week, Martinez (17-1, 13 KO) and Arroyo (20-4, 15 KO) were all set to meet last August before “Rey” withdrew due to illness in his first of three canceled fights that year. Maximino Flores tested positive for COVID in October, leaving Martinez to beat down Moises Calleros, and another illness scuttled a December bout with Francisco Rodriguez Jr.
Julio Cesar Martinez vs McWilliams Arroyo joins Canelo-Yildirim Feb 27 badlefthook.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from badlefthook.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Canelo Alvarez vs Callum Smith prediction, full fight preview
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Mexican combat sports superstar Canelo Alvarez makes his first appearance of 2020 this evening (Dec. 19, 2020), taking on world No. 1-ranked Super Middleweight, Callum Smith, in a bid for Smith’s WBA “Super” title and the vacant WBC belt.
Alvarez claimed the WBA “World” title with his 2018 knockout of Rocky Fielding, but Smith holds the primary version of that belt, meaning Alvarez’s claims of being a four-weight champion will hold considerably more, well, weight if he comes out victorious. “Mundo” doesn’t figure to make it easy, having established himself as the top dog at 168 pounds.
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•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years
•Appears on BoxNation s Boxing Matters show
Callum Smith is not the first English boxer to face Canelo Alvarez. In fact, he s not even the first person in his family to box the Mexican superstar.
Smith (27-0, 19 KOs) is one of four brothers who have all either fought for or won world titles. In 2016, Callum was ringside when elder sibling Liam Smith lost his junior middleweight world title to Alvarez in front of 51,240 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.