Yesterday’s suggestion that the much troubled December 9th Sports Network card could lose the Matt Skelton v Audley Harrison heavyweight clash received added substance today when American based British middleweight Patrick Maxwell confirmed that Thel Torrence, his and Harrison’s trainer, had cancelled his planned flight to England.

This is unconfirmed by Sports Network, but reliable evidence that the show – headlined by Scott Harrison’s WBO featherweight defence versus Nicky Cook – will suffer yet another withdrawal.

In a brave move, entertaining Scottish Super-Featherweight Alex Arthur has opted to vacate the European belt he secured beating gallant veteran Boris Sinitsen last year. On the cusp of a world-title shot in the talent rich 130 pound division Arthur will need to be a the pinnacle of his capabilities simply to be competitive with the likes of Joan Guzman, Marco Antonio Barrera and the other leading lights at the weight.

Presumably, Arthur’s promoter Frank Warren has spied an easier route to world-title level through the WBO. Their champion the infinitely more beatable Malcolm Klassen who deposed Gary St. Clair recently.

It will be interesting to see whether the decision to vacate the much trumpeted EBU belt proves an astute choice or indeed, whether Arthur can be manoeuvred to a title shot and not toward a meaningless lesser sanctioning body’s belt.