Bad Left Hook

Pier Olivier Cote, the dynamite junior welterweight prospect out of Quebec, has fallen ill and withdrawn from his February 3 bout with Mauricio Herrera.

In a press release sent out yesterday, Cote, his trainer, and his promoter all apologized for the cancellation of the fight.

"We are less than a month out of the most important fight in Pier-Olivier's career and he could not train adequately in the gym," said trainer Francois Duguay.

"He wasn't feeling well. I really do not want to speculate what could be wrong with him until he undergoes the necessary medical tests. The first doctor he saw told him he has to stop training and rest. Until we know more we are following his recommendations."

InterBox promoter Jean Bedard said he's hoping to reschedule the fight as soon as possible. "My primary responsibility is to protect our athletes. We had a very bad experience in the past with health issues related to Lucian Bute and we certainly do not want to repeat this same error. We await the results of Cote's medical exams before reevaluating the situation. Hopefully it is minor and we can sit with Thompson Boxing Promotions and Showtime to discuss another date."

"I was really looking forward to fighting Herrera on February 3rd," said Cote himself. "This is the first time in my 18 fights that such a situation arises. I will follow the recommendations of the doctor and undergo every test that I have to. My goal right now is to get better and return stronger than ever. I would like to thank my promoter for supporting me during this difficult time."

Cote (18-0, 12 KO) had an eye-opening performance in November on the Lucian Bute vs Glen Johnson undercard, demolishing Jorge Teron in two rounds. Hopefully this is nothing more than a minor setback and we'll see the fight rescheduled quickly.