Cancelled Fights over the years

I remember back in a day, while scrolling through fighters records, here and then I'd find an odd lay-off, period of inactivity - and only later on I'd find out about some fights that were cancelled. I think that's when I started putting this list together, years ago.
I wasn't actively working on it, just adding some stuff here and there when I learned about something, but it eventually grew quite long - and I did not see similar kind of list elsewhere.
I think at times it can be useful information, adding perspective on fighter's career development. It's also interesting to see how close some great fights were to happening.

The list is below. If anyone knows of any other examples - and I mean fights that were already made, only fell through later for various reasons - I'd be very curious to know about them, to add them to the list. It's mostly about big fights - but also some more obscure match-ups that You think would've been interesting.
Also, if anyone notices some inacurracies - please let me know also.

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1911-09-15 Packey McFarland - Ad Wolfgast (World Lightweight Title) - Milwaukee
(Elected officials made last minute decision stop the fight from taking plaece)

1911-10-02 Jack Johnson vs Bombardier Billy Wells [Heavyweights] - United Kingdom
(Fight stopped for political reasons)

1924-07-04 Harry Greb vs Young Stribling [?]
(Unknonwn)

1924-XX-XX Jack Dempsey vs Harry Wills [World Heavyweight Title]
(Govorner of the State of New York canceled the contest fearing that race riots would follow the fight)

1936-06-19 Jim Braddock - Max Schmelling [World Heavyweight Title]
(Braddock withdrew from the fight on August 18 due to a hand injury)

1938-10-03 Bob Pastor - Gunnar Barlung [Heavyweight]
(Pastor pulled out due to leg injury He suffered while chopping wood)

1942-05-25 Ezzard Charles - Ken Overlin III [Middleweight]
(Unknown, Overlin replaced by Charley Burley)

1949-09-28 Jake LaMotta vs Marcel Cerdan II [World Middleweight Title]
(Fight was first postponed due to Jake's shoulder injury, then called of as Cerdan was killed in plane crash)

1950-06-28 Jake LaMotta vs Rocky Graziano [World Middleweight Title]
(Graziano fractured left hand during preparation)

1955-03-18 Archie Moore vs Frankie Daniels [?]
(The bout, which was to serve as a tune-up for Moore before his rematch with Nino Valdez, was canceled and Moore's license was revoked by the state commission after doctors said Moore had a heart ailment. The following month, a specialist declared Moore's heart to be "extraordinarily good," and his fight with Valdes went on as scheduled.)

1956-03-06 Sonny Liston vs Harold Johnson [Heavyweight]
(Johnson hurt his shoulder while training for the bout)

1963-06-01 Harold Johnson vs Mauro Mina & Henry Hank [WBC Light Heavyweight Title]
(Mina pulled out due to injury in training ; Rumoured eye issues ; Hank, original replacement opponent, also suffered an injury)

1964-05-24 Fighting Harada vs Jesus Pimentel [Bantamweight]
(Pimental pulled out with a stomach issue. Fight was scheduled again on 1968-02-27, for Harada's WBC Title. Pimental pulled out again, this time citing managerial issues)

1964-10-28 Eder Jofre vs Jesus Pimentel [WBA&WBC Bantamweight Titles] - Jose Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas
(Unspecified Contract Dispute)

1967-04-25 Muhammad Ali vs Floyd Patterson II [WBC Heavyweight Title]
(The fight was cancelled after Ali was banned from boxing for refusing to serve in the military.)

1969-09-27 Jimmy Ellis - Henry Cooper [Heavyweight, Non Title] - London
(Cooper suffered leg injury)

1969-11-06 Sugar Ramos - Rodolfo Gonzalez [Lightweight]
(Ramos pulled out with a flu. Fight was rescheduled (for 1969-12-04), but Gonzalez suffered a cut in intermediate fight with Javier Jimenez, which led to cancellation)

1969-12-19 Jimmy Ellis - Gregorio Peralta [WBA Heavyweight Title]
(Promoter cancelled the fight 24 hours before it was to take place because of poor ticket sales)

1970-02-16 George Chuvalo - Jerry Quarry II [Heavyweight]
(Rematch between the two was signed to take place 3 months after the first fight, on the Joe Frazier vs Jimmy Ellis undercard. Chuvalo, however, had to pull out on medical advice that his damaged eye needed more time to heal.)

1970-11-20 Jose Napoles - Johann Orsolics [WBC Welterweight Title] - Vienna
(Orsolics lost intermediate fight against Eddie Perkins, leading Napoles's team to excercise their "right to cancel" clause.)

1971-02-12 Ken Buchanan - Mando Ramos [WBC Lightweight Title]
(Ramos suffered an injury)

1972-09-20 Roberto Duran - Carlos Ortiz [Lightweight? Non Title]
(?)

1973-03-17 Rodolfo Gonzalez - Pedro Carrasco [WBC Lightweight Title]
(On February 15, Ruben Navarro replaced original opponent, Pedro Carrasco, who abruptly retired)

1973-05-09 Earnie Shavers - George Chuvalo [Heavyweight]
(Chuvalo pulled out due to back injury)

1973-06-18 Jerry Quarry - Jose Luis Garcia [Heavyweight]
(On May 21st Garcia was stopped in the 1st round by Joe Alexander, which automatically incurred a 60 day suspension for Garcia, forcing the cancellation. Garden matchmaker, Teddy Brenner, then matched Quarry with Earnie Shavers on the date, however, Quarry eventually pulled out with an intestinal flu. Finally, Brenner kept the date by matching Shavers with Jimmy Ellis)

1973-07-25 Jerry Quarry - Earnie Shavers [Heavyweight]
(Shavers suffered broken jaw in sparring against Jim Merritt. Bonavena was contemplated as a replacement, but He needed more time to prepare)

1973-11-13 John Conteh - Mike Quarry [Light Heavyweight]
(Conteh withdrew on November 7, citing hand injury)

1975-03-28 Armando Muniz - Ernie Lopez II [Welterweight]
(While in training for a rematch with Ernie Lopez, Muniz received a call to fight Jose Napoles. He ended up paying restitutions to the Forum, where fight fight with Lopez was to take place, for allowing him to take the fight with Napoles instead)

1977-03-28 Victor Galindez vs Bob Foster [WBA Light Heavyweight Title] - South Africa
(As a provision for CBS televising the bout, Foster was under contract to submit to a medical examination supervised by a boxing commission from Nevada, California or New York. Foster refused and the bout was cancelled)

1977-06- XX Alfredo Escalera - Tyrone Everett II [WBC Super Featherweight Title] - Puerto Rico
(Everett was murdered)

1977-11-18 Roberto Duran - Wilfred Benitez [Welterweight? Non Title]
(Duran pulled out with a flu)

1978-03-03 Clyde Gray vs Dave "Boy" Green [Commonwealth Welterweight Title]
(Fight was postponed couple times and eventually cancalled, as Green pulled out with hand injury)

1978-05-14 Joe Frazier - Kallie Knoetze [Heavyweight]
(Frazier contracted hepatitis)

1980-06-14 Marvin Camel vs Victor Galindez [WBC Cruiserweight Title]
(Camel injuried his eye during training)

1980-08-02 Gerry Cooney vs Earnie Shavers [Heavyweight]
(Cooney pulled out due to torn muscle)

1981-02-23 Aaron Pryor - Saoul Mamby [WBA&WBC Super Lightweight Unification]
(Pryor backed out recovering from gun wound. The event was later canceled when the promoter, Harold Rossfield Smith (aka Ross Fields) went into hiding when it was discovered he had embezzled more than $20M from Wells Fargo bank.)

1981-02-23 Wilfredo Gomez vs Mike Ayala [WBC Super Bantamweight Title)
(The event was canceled when the promoter, Harold Rossfield Smith (aka Ross Fields) went into hiding when it was discovered he had embezzled more than $20M from Wells Fargo bank.)

1981-02-23 Matthew Saad Muhammad vs Eddie Mustaga Muhammad II [WBA&WBC Light Heavyweight Unification]
(The event was canceled when the promoter, Harold Rossfield Smith (aka Ross Fields) went into hiding when it was discovered he had embezzled more than $20M from Wells Fargo bank.)

1981-02-23 Alexis Arguello vs Hilmer Keny [WBA Lightweight Title]
(Keny suffered an injury. Later, the event was canceled when the promoter, Harold Rossfield Smith (aka Ross Fields) went into hiding when it was discovered he had embezzled more than $20M from Wells Fargo bank.)

1981-10-22 Mike Weaver vs Gerry Cooney [WBA Heavyweight Title]
(Weaver had a tentative agreement to meet Gerry Cooney on October 22, 1981, but the WBA said Weaver had to fight Tillis next or be stripped of the title.)

1981-12-06 Gerry Cooney - Joe Bugner [Heavyweight]
(Cooney suffered back injury)

1982-02-XX Adolfo Viruet - Clint Jackson [Lightweight]
(Jackson suffered ankle injury in training)

1982-05-14 Ray Leonard - Roger Stafford [WBA&WBC Welterweight Titles]
(Leonard pulled out due to detached retina)

1982-06-02 Mike Weaver - Randall Cobb [WBA Heavyweight Title]
(Weaver injured his shoulder)

1982-09-15 Salvador Sanchez - Juan Laporte II [WBC Featherweight Title]
(Sanchez died in car crash)

1982-11-19 Roberto Duran - Tony Ayala Jr. [Super Welterweight]
(Duran lost to Kirkalnd Laing, which led to fight being called off)

1983-05-27 Ray Mancini - Kenny Bogner [WBA Lightweight Title] - Bophuthatswana
(Mancini suffered a fractured collarbone in training. The Mancini-Bogner bout was to have been the second one on a card which included a WBA junior middleweight title fight between champion Davey Moore and Roberto Duran.)

1983-07-15 Michael Spinks - Eddie Mustafa Muhammad II [WBA&WBC Light Heavyweight Title]
(Muhammad did not make weight)

 

1983-07-17 Alexis Arguello - Billy Costello [Super Lightweight]
(On July 5, Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, where the fight was scheduled to take place, announced the cancellation. No reason was given)

1983-07-24 Aaron Pryor vs Reyes Antonio Cruz [10 rounds, non title, Super Lightweight]
(On July 5, Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, where the fight was scheduled to take place, announced the cancellation. No reason was given)

1983-09-09 Thomas Hearns - James Green [WBC Super Welterweight Title]
(Hearns suffered a broken right hand in sparring)

1984-04-06 Larry Holmes - John Tate [IBF Heavyweight Title] - Reno
(The fight was called off after Tate suffered a severe muscle strain in his left shoulder while training)

1984-06-08 Larry Holmes - Gerrie Coetezee [WBA Heavyweight Title]
(Show cancelled because of financial issues and Promoter/Casino conflict)

1986-06-23 Barry McGuigan - Fernando Ramon Sosa [WBA Featherweight Title]
(Sosa had to retire because of two detached retinas)

1986-12-12 Tim Witherspoon - Tony Tubbs II [WBA Heavyweight Title]
(Tubbs pulled out with shoulder injury)

1987-03-24 Frank Bruno vs Greg Page [Heavyweight]
(Greg Page withdrew due to injury)

1987-09-28 Frank Bruno vs Trevor Berbick [Heavyweight] - London
(Berbick pulled out with injury)

1988-09-03 Mike Tyson - Frank Bruno [WBC,WBA&IBF Heavyweight Titles] - London
(Fight was postponed 3 times, first due to Tyson's legal issues, then as Mike injured his right hand in street fight with Mitch Green and for the third time due to injury Tyson suffered in a car accident)

1988-11-04 Thomas Hearns - Fulgencio Obelmejias [WBA Super Middleweight Title]
(Obelmejias pulled out with rib injury)

1990-02-26 Lennox Lewis - Proud Kilimanjaro [Heavyweight Commonewealth Title]
(Kilimanjaro was barred from performing by BBBofC after HE refused to reveal the results of a mandatory AIDS test)

1991-06-? Johnny Nelson - Taoufik Belbouli [European Cruiserweight Title]
(Promoter pulled out [According to Johnny Nelson in his autobiography])

1991-06-28 Julio Cesar Chavez - Harold Brazier [WBC Super Lightweight Title]
(Chavez pulled out with a cut, Brazier claims JC was just out of shape)

1991-10-?? Johnny Nelson - Akim Tafer [EBU Cruiserweight Title]
(Tafer pulled out with rib injury [According to Johnny Nelson in his autobiography])

1991-11-08 Evander Holyfield - Mike Tyson [Heavyweight]
(Tyson suffered rib injury in training)

1991-11-23 Evander Holyfield - Francesco Damiani [WBA&IBF Heavyweight Title]
(Damiani pulled out due to an ankle injury)

1994-03-04 Gerald McClellan - Lamar Parks [WBC Middleweight Title]
(Parks Tested Positive for HIV)

1994-10-22 Herbie Hide - Tommy Morrison [WBO Heavyweight Title]
(Show Cancelled because of financial issues)

1994-10-22 Frank Bruno - Ray Mercer [Heavyweight]
(Show Cancelled because of financial issues)

1994-XX-XX Lennox Lewis - Riddick Bowe [WBC Heavyweight Title]
(Fight was signed - without specified date - on June 17 1994, before Lewis's mandatory title defence against Oliver McCall. Fight fell through as Lennox lost to McCall.)

1996-12-06 Julio Cesar Chavez vs Micky Ward [Super Lightweight]
(Chicago Tribune: Citing a hand injury sustained while training, but mired in what a promoter calls “major personal problems” involving a family squabble, Julio Cesar Chavez has withdrawn from a fight scheduled Friday against Irishman Mickey Ward.)

1997-06-27 Felix Trinidad vs Terry Norris [IBF&WBC Super Welterweight Title]
(Fight was called off after Norris filed a lawsuit against promoter Don King and manager Joe Sayatovich)

1997-08-16 Ray Mercer - Andrew Golota [Heavyweight]
(Mercer pulled out due to neck injury)

1997-10-11 Joe Calzaghe - Steve Collins [WBO Super Middleweight Title]
(Collins injured, then retired)

1998-04-25 Ike Quartey - Pernell Whitaker [WBO Welterweight Title]
(Whitaker failed a drug test)

1998-06-07 Evander Holyfield - Henry Akinwande [IBF&WBA Heavyweight Title]
(Akinwande tested positive for Hepatitis B)

1999-01-23 George Foreman - Larry Holmes [Heavyweight]
("Foreman bailed out when promoter Roger Levitt failed to pay George his promised advance")

1999-11-06 Roy Jones Jr. - Graciano Rocchigiani [IBF,WBA&WBC Light Heavyweight Titles]
(Rochigiani didn't attend a press conference in United States, causing promoter to call off the bout)

2000-10-07 Eric Morel vs Jose Bonilla [WBA Flyweight Title]
(Bonilla pulled out on week of the fight due to visa issues)

2001-04-22 Steve Forbes - Justin Juuko [IBF Super Featherweight Title]
(Forbes pulled out with back injury)

2001-12-08 Oscar De la Hoya - Roman Karmazin [WBC Super Welterweight Title]
(De la Hoya injured his hand)

2002-01-19 Mike Tyson - Ray Mercer [Heavyweight]
(In December (2001), Lewis sued Tyson in an attempt to ensure that Tyson would face him next rather than Mercer. Two days later, Tyson announced the cancellation of his match with Mercer and his intentions to proceed with his long awaited title shot against Lewis.)

2002-05-17 Willie Jorrin - Israel Vazquez [WBC Super Bantamweight Title)
(Jorrin pulled out with ankle injury)

2003-06-21 Mike Tyson - Oleg Maskaev [Heavyweight]
(Tyson pulled out of the bout after former promoter Don King allegedly used threats to prevent Tyson from signing the contract.)

2003-06-21 Lennox Lewis - Kirk Johnson [WBC Heavyweight Title]
(Johnson tore chest muscle)

2003-12-13 David Tua - Hasim Rahman III [Heavyweight]
(Unknown)

2004-02-07 James Toney - Jameel McCline [Heavyweight]
(Toney ruptured Achilles' tendon)

2004-05-08 Miguel Cotto vs Juan Valenzuela [Super Lightweight]
(During the pre-fight eye examination doctors discovered that Juan had a retinal injury. "Pollo" was eventually replaced by Lovemore N'dou).

2004-06-12 Joe Calzaghe - Glen Johnson [IBF Light Heavyweight Title]
(Calzaghe suffered back injury)

2005-04-30 Vitali Klitschko - Hasim Rahman [WBC Heavyweight Title]
(Series of injuries suffered by Klitshko)

2005-07-16 Fernando Montiel vs Eric Morel [WBO Super Flyweight Title]
(Morel, investigated for sexual assault against an underage girl, was not allowed to compete by the Nevade State Athlethic Commision, which used its "Moral turpitude clause".)

2005-08-20 In-Jin Chi vs Rocky Juarez [WBC Featherweight Title]
(In-Jin Chi suffered achilles tendon injury)

2006-02-04 Jose Luis Castillo - Diego Corrales III [WBC&WBO Lightweight Titles]
(Castillo did not make weight)

2006-03-25 Scott Harrison - Joan Guzman [WBO Featherweight Title]
(Harrisons health issues - mouth abscess)

 

2006-09-01 Steve Molitor - Gabula Vabaza [Vacant IBF Super Middleweight Title] - South Africa
(Vabaza failed pre-fight medical test and the fight was called off)

2006-XX-XX O'Neil Bell - Steve Cunningham [IBF Cruiserweight Title]
(Bell pulled out with tooth issue as a reason - was stripped off IBF belt subsequently)

2007-05-26 Joan Guzman - Michael Katsidis [Interim WBO Lightweight Title]
(Guzman injured his hand)

2007-10-13 Sultan Ibragimov vs Ruslan Chagaev [WBO&WBA Heavyweight Unification]
(Chagaev withdrew for medical reasons)

2008-09-13 Nate Campbell - Joan Guzman [WBA,WBO&IBF Lightweight Title]
(Guzman didn't make weight)

2008-09-27 Shane Mosley - Zab Judah [Welterweight]
(Judah injured in accident before a fight)

2008-12-06 Gerry Penalosa - Abner Mares [WBO Bantamweight Title]
(Mares suffered detached retina)

2008-12-13 Kendall Holt vs Ricardo Torres III [WBO Super Lightweight Title]
(Ricardo Torres withdrew. "One source advised ******* that Torres did not properly train for the fight due an illness, was out of shape and had no chance of making the junior welterweight limit.")

2009-02-14 Alfredo Angulo - Ricardo Mayorga [Super Welterweight]
(Mayorga pulled out, citing injury)

2009-06-27 Paulie Malignaggi - Mike Alvarado [Super Lightweight]
(Alvarado pulled out with injury)

2009-07-11 Yuri Ramanau - Fernando Angulo [Vacant IBF Lightweight Title]
(Ramanau had visa issues that prevented him from coming to United States and forced him to pull out)

2009-10-05 Kelly Pavlik - Paul Williams [WBC&WBO Middleweight Title]
(Pavlik's staph infection)

2009-10-05 Joshua Clottey - Carlos Quintana [Super Welterweight]
(Fight off as main event - Pavlik vs Williams - is cancelled)

2009-12-26 Shane Mosley vs Joshua Clottey [WBA Welterweight Title]
(?)

2010-01-30 Shane Mosley - Andre Berto [WBC Welterweight Title]
(Berto pulled out because of earthquake in his native Haiti.)

2010-06-19 Timothy Bradley - Marcos Rene Maidana [WBO Super Lightweight Title]
(Maidana injured his back)

2010-11-27 Andre Ward - Andre Dirrell [WBA Super Middleweight Title]
(Dirrell pulled out due to neurological issues)

2011-05-19 Juergen Breahmer - Nathan Cleverly [WBO Light Heavyweight Title]
(Braehmer officially pulled out with a cut, rumours of personal issues)

2011-08-27 Marcos Rene Maidana - Robert Guerrero [WBA Super Lightweight Title]
(Guerrero suffered shoulder injury)

2011-09-17 Erik Morales - Lucas Matthsse [Vacant WBC Super Lightweight Title]
(Matthysse has fallen ill)

2012-02-08 Tyson Fury - David Haye [Heavyweight]
(Haye suffered shoulder injury)

2012-05-19 Amir Khan - Lamont Peterson II [WBA&IBF Super Lightweight Title]
(Peterson failed a drug test)

2012-06-23 Victor Ortiz - Andre Berto II [Welterweight]
(Berto first injured, then tested positive for steroids)

2012-08-25 Gennady Golovkin - Dmitry Pirog [WBA&WBO Middleweight Unification]
(Pirog suffered back injury)

2012-11-15 Saul Alvarez - Paul Williams [WBC Super Welterweight Title]
(Paul Williams injured in Motorcycle accident)

2012-12-15 Guillermo Rigondeaux - Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym [WBA Super Bantamweight Title]
(Poonsawat failed a blood test)

2013-01-19 Devon Alexander vs Kell Brook [IBF Welterweight Title]
(Fight was postponed 3 times - first due to Kell's ankle injury, then due to Devon's bicep injury - and third time due to Kell's foot injury).

2013-07-06 Zaurbek Baysangurov vs Demetrius Andrade (WBO Super Welterweight Title) - Kiev, Ukraine
(Baysangurov injured his back)

2013-11-10 Richar Abril vs Jorge Linares [WBA Lightweight Title]
(Abril pulled out with foot injury)

2014-07-26 Daniel Geale vs Matthew Macklin [Middleweight]
(Mike Perez, who was suppose to fight in main event against Bryant Jennings, suffered shoulder injury, causing the show to be cancelled)

2016-05-21 Deontay Wilder vs Alexander Povetkin [WBC Heavyweight Title ; Moscow, Russia]
(Povetkin failed a drug test for meldonium)

2016-10-29 Tyson Fury vs Wladimir Klitschko II [WBA,WBO&IBF Heavyweight Title]
(Fight first postponed due to Fury's ankle injury, then called off as Fury is being declared "medically unfit" due to mental health issues)

2016-12-17 Bermane Stiverne vs Alexander Povetkin [Interim WBC Heavyweight Title]
(Povetkin failed a drug test for Ostarine)

2016-12-17 Orlando Salido vs Takashi Miura [Super Featherweight]
(Orlando Salido injured his back during camp)

2017-10-28 Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev [IBF&WBA Heavyweight Title]
(Pulev pulled out with shoulder injury)

2018-10-20 Billy Joe Saunders vs Demetrius Andrade [WBO Middleweight Title]
(Saunders failed a drug test)

2019-06-01 Anthony Joshua vs Jarrell Miller [IBF,WBA&WBO Heavyweight Title]
(Miller failed a drug test)

2021-08-21 Manny Pacquiao vs Errol Spence Jr. [WBC,WBA&IBF Welterweight Titles]
(Retinal tear in Spence's left eye was discovered during a pre-fight medical exam)

2023-07-08 Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs Eimantas Stanionis [Welterweight]
(Fight was scheduled and cancelled couple times due to Ortiz's health issues)

 

Thanks a lot guys! I added Galindez vs Foster fight. Always thought of them as belonging to different eras, so very interesting to find out They nearly fought one another.
Terry Norris vs Simon Brown was rescheduled soon enough - I don't add those type of instances, since They are pretty common - but still, I watched that clip with a lot of interest.

 

Thanks guys, awesome stuff.

Here's also interesting article I found about the cancellation of the 1981 February 23 mega card:
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/0...pectacular-that-officially-was/9495350283600/

It really could've been something. Wish Harold Smith got caught only after the event took place, ha!

 

Thanks a lot! Just a small correction after some detective work. It wasn't in 1997, but December of 1996 - and was suppose to be the main event on the HBO card which featured James Toney vs Montell Griffin rematch.

Here, I believe fight was not really signed. The beginning of the article also seems to confirm it:
"When Bernard Hopkins left for a vacation in Cancun, Mexico, this weekend, he left behind his contract to fight International Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion James Toney.
Unsigned."

It's sometimes difficult to find out what fight was really agreed on and which were just really close to being signed - but I try to keep that distinction here.
Thanks nonetheless!