Benavidez can’t fight on Feb. 3 because of troublesome injury that forces card’s cancellation

Junior-welterweight prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. won’t fight on Feb. 3 at Wild Horse Pass Casino near his hometown, Phoenix, because of persistent pain from a lingering injury to his right wrist, said promoters, who canceled the card.

Gerry Truax of Showdown Promotions said Wednesday that the wrist continued to trouble Benavidez (14-0, 12 KOs) when he resumed training after he was medically cleared to fight last week.

Physicians told him to avoid contact for one month, according to Truax, the Arizona representative for Showdown, which had been planning the card in a co-promotion with Top Rank. Truax said he canceled the card because local sponsors withdrew support after being told that Benavidez would not fight.

“It wouldn’t be fair to ask Jose to fight at 50 percent,’’ Truax. “We want him to be healthy for a fight in March.’’

Benavidez, a Top Rank fighter, is scheduled to fight on March 23 on a ShoBox-televised card in Tucson at Casino del Sol. Dallas super-bantamweight Roberto Marroquin, another Top Rank prospect, is scheduled for the main event.

The 19-year-old Benavidez has been struggling with a wrist injury since he made his pro debut in his home state with a fourth-round stoppage in June of Corey Alarcon at Wild Horse Pass Casino. He aggravated the injury in November during a unanimous decision on Nov. 12 over Samuel Santana on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s controversial victory over Juan Manuel Marquez at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.