Former WBC bantamweight champion Wayne McCullough’s Dec. 1 European title bout against Kiko Martinez imploded yesterday when the Spaniard came in two pounds over the 122-lb. limit. The 37 year-old McCullough (27-6) had been scheduled to face Martinez (17-0) in the main event of a card at the King’s Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The entire show, which was to have included a co-feature matching light-heavyweight Brian McGee against Francis Cheka of Tanzania, was canceled.

After Martinez’ failure to make weight, McCullough and his manager/wife Cheryl were approached by promoter Tom McGee about the possibility of proceeding with an over-the-weight, non-title fight. The McCulloughs declined, explaining that they might have been more flexible had Martinez made any effort whatsoever to shed the excess poundage, which he did not.

The Las Vegas-domiciled McCullough had been looking forward to fighting in his homeland for the first time in five years.

Martinez, who won the Euro junior featherweight title in Dublin last August in a shocking upset when he stopped previously unbeaten Irishman Bernard Dunne in the first round, offered no explanation for the miscalculation.

Martinez-McCullough was to have been the first of three consecutive Saturday night December shows staged in the Emerald Isle, and advance ticket sales had lagged behind those of the other two.  New York-based Derry middleweight John Duddy will face former Commonwealth champion Howard Eastman at the King’s Hall on Dec. 8, while a week later Emanuel Steward-trained Irish middleweight Andy Lee will headline promoter Brian Peters’ card in Dublin.

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