Jorge Arce to Rematch Lorenzo Parra on February 18

by Scott Christ on Dec 26, 2011 8:15 PM EST in Boxing News Analysis

Jorge Arce will return on February 18, fighting a rematch for the third straight outing. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

WBO bantamweight titlist Jorge Arce will stay at 118 pounds for his next fight, as BoxingScene.com is reporting that the popular Mexican star will rematch Lorenzo Parra in Mexico on February 18 for the title.

Arce (59-6-2, 45 KO) won the WBO super bantamweight title in May with a big upset of Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, and defended it once in a rematch with Simphiwe Nongqayi on September 24, winning pretty easily. He then dropped down to bantamweight to pick up a belt there, winning a ridiculous vacant title fight against Angky Angkotta (another rematch).

The last man Arce did not defeat was Parra (31-3-1, 18 KO), a former flyweight titlist whose career has been a mess since 2007. Arce and Parra had a controversial draw in 2010, which many felt Parra clearly deserved to win, but in his last fight, Parra looked both outclassed and totally disinterested in fighting in a June loss to Anselmo Moreno.

So why does this fight happen? Because Arce gets to do what Arce wants, basically. He draws good crowds, does good TV numbers in Mexico. He's a legitimate star and he's catered to because of it. It doesn't make him less of a fighter or anything (and he's a true fighter), but he gets his way on things like this. If he wanted to rematch Martin Castillo, the WBO would probably sign off on it as a title fight.

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i`m from venezuela and parra in his last fight he disappoint me a lot, i was hoping much more from him, but arce although he is a warrior, he’s not a great boxer, and technically he is below parra….but his heart and will are huge!!!

by EL CIERTO (VEN) on Dec 26, 2011 10:06 PM EST reply actions

he should have face nonito..

"Effort without Efficiency is nonsense.." -rk mag

by richmondk on Dec 26, 2011 10:43 PM EST reply actions

As soon as you accept the fact that Arce isn’t really the 118 champ or a serious claimant to any real world title, and has failed in his few attempts to do so, and just accept him for what he is (a little guy who can punch and is OK with getting hit), I think everything sorta falls into place with him. Jorge Arce is to the little man divisions what Gatti was to lightweight/bantamweight.

by VirtualBalboa on Dec 27, 2011 12:12 AM EST reply actions

I meant lightweight/welterweight. Sorry.

by VirtualBalboa on Dec 27, 2011 12:13 AM EST up reply actions

He did legitimately beat Vazquez for a legitimate title

That said, it was the first time he had looked good in years.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Dec 27, 2011 12:54 AM EST up reply actions

Meh. I never was that into Vazquez Jr. as a fighter and I’ve always considered Nishioka the top guy at that weight class pretty much ever since Raffy and Israel kinda rode into short lived retirements together. Wilfredo got a belt but it never meant much to me. That he lost to Arce says more about him than it does about Arce too. And I’m a big Arce fan who won’t miss a fight. He’s very rarely boring, in part because he’ll try to take out anyone who he’s overmatched with. That and he’s active. You’ll see Arce 3-4-5 times a year. I understand the criticism towards the guy and if you want to put Arce in the class with the rest of the divisions he’s fighting at, yeah, he’s ducking guys and not taking tough fights and whatever else. I don’t. He’s off in his own little (slight pun intended) universe and the real guys are off in their’s, and never the twain shall meet. And it means absolutely nothing when it comes to making stars here anyways if they don’t.

by VirtualBalboa on Dec 27, 2011 1:03 AM EST up reply actions

I was extremely disappointed with the Arce Angkotta fight. Angkotta hurt him in the 7th round and all Arce did was hold on to him for the rest of the fight eventually winning the decision. One of the worst matches of the year in my opinion.

by sarangrat on Dec 27, 2011 1:32 AM EST reply actions

Trap fight for Arce. Parra style is all wrong for him. I’m one of those who had Parra winning there first fight. And pretty easily at that. I see a similar fight. Will Parra get the deserved victory this time? That’s a different story. Parra looked listless in his last fight against Moreno. But I think the reason for that is that they fought at Bantamweight. Parra hadn’t been as low as 118 in almost 4 years. That and the fact that the fight was postponed like 3 or 4 different times contributed to his poor effort

All of it. Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie. I want it all.

by Eugene Banks on Dec 27, 2011 2:03 AM EST reply actions

Arce is making a serious bid for Hall of Fame stature

"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant."
-- Vernon Forrest (1971-2009)

by Boss Man on Dec 27, 2011 1:25 PM EST reply actions