As BoxingScene.com previously reported, the Julio Cesar Martinez-McWilliams Arroyo rematch is somehow back in play.
Last month, a purse bid was held to determine promotional rights to the snakebit title consolidation bout was won by Clase y Talento, the company headed by Eddy Reynoso who submitted $345,000.
Ten percent of the bid ($34,500) will be placed in escrow as a win bonus. The remaining $310,500 will be split 65/35 in favor of Martinez (20-2, 15KOs; 2NC) as the defending titlist.
Puerto Rico’s Arroyo holds the interim title, though he has not fought since their November 2021 meeting which ended in a No-Contest after just two rounds. A clash of heads ended their fight that saw both men hit the canvas in a truncated fight that was already canceled twice prior to that point.
“I still want to be undisputed champion in the flyweight division,” Martinez told BoxingScene.com. “I have to win fights like this first in order to achieve that goal. I’m ready to prove that I’m the man to beat at flyweight.”
Neither a date nor location was specified for the rematch, which has already seen two dates fall through due to various issues.
Martinez fell ill during fight week ahead of another planned meeting last June 25 in San Antonio. The bout was rescheduled for last December 3 in Arizona, but Arroyo withdrew from the fight after suffering a training camp injury.
Martinez was last seen picking up an eleventh-round knockout of Ronal Batista for his sixth successful title defense on the May 6 undercard of superstar stablemate Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s unanimous decision win over John Ryder in Zapopan, Mexico.
Martinez has held the WBC junior bantamweight title since a December 2019 ninth-round knockout of former titlist Cristofer Rosales in Phoenix, Arizona.
Should the rematch actually move forward, the winner will be free to make a voluntary defense in their next outing. Martinez is co-promoted by Matchroom Boxing, who just confirmed the terrific Sunny Edwards-Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez IBF/WBO flyweight title unification championship for later this year.
“We have big goals but first thing is to take care of business with Arroyo,” notes Martinez. “This fight has been in my way for a long time, and we’re ready to put this [chapter] behind us. I just hope he’s ready as well because I’m ready to move on to the other champions after this.”