Super middleweight Lester Martinez has withdrawn from his scheduled bout against Joeshon James due to an illness, as announced during the ProBox TV telecast.
The 28-year-old Martinez (18-0, 15 KOs), who hails from Guatemala, had successfully made weight at 167 pounds but was cited as having an illness around the time of the weigh-in, forcing him to pull out of the fight.
The announcement, made by commentator Jimmy Smith, left the 26-year-old James (9-0-2, 5 KOs) from Sacramento, California, and his team disappointed after he came in at 167.6 pounds and was prepared to make his first televised main event.
“We are frustrated that we can’t compete but wish Martinez the best in his recovery,” Andres Martinez, James’ trainer, told BoxingScene. “We thought this was going to be the moment that changed Joeshon’s life. It was my birthday the day prior. Everything lined up, but it just didn’t happen.”
The fight would have been the third of the year for Lester Martinez. He had previously knocked out Ruben Angulo in two rounds and earned a decision win over Carlos Gongora in June. For James, it would have marked his second fight of 2024, following his February unanimous decision victory over Vaughn Alexander.
The new main event will feature a junior middleweight clash between Vladimir Hernandez (15-6, 7 KOs), 35, of Stockton, California, and Raul Garcia (13-1-1, 11 KOs), 25, of the Dominican Republic, in a 10-round bout.
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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