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The WBO says that if Juan Manuel Lopez vacates his 122-pound title to move up to featherweight -- which Lopez has said he plans to do in January -- that they would then stage a fight between Mexican stars Rafael Marquez and Daniel Ponce de Leon for the vacant strap.
There are a TON of problems with this. Let's go list format:
- Lopez has not done anything yet. He also said after that statement was made that he'd like to fight Celestino Caballero in a unification bout, assuming he gets past journeyman Rogers Mtagwa in October. So there's one potential roadblock. The WBO is talking about filling a vacancy that doesn't even exist and wouldn't for months even if it eventually does come to pass.
- Rafael Marquez is fighting at featherweight now. He returned at 126 in May and plans to stay there, seeking a fourth fight with Israel Vazquez.
- Daniel Ponce de Leon is fighting at featherweight now. In fact, he won a useless featherweight trinket (NABF) in his last bout, and is scheduled to fight a WBA featherweight eliminator on September 5 against former Chris John challenger (word used lightly) Roinet Caballero.
- Again, Marquez and Israel Vazquez (who returns in October) want to fight a fourth time. At 126 pounds. Vazquez-Marquez IV is easily bigger money for Marquez than a fight with Ponce de Leon, and...
- ...he wouldn't have to cut to 122 pounds, which neither he nor Ponce de Leon seems to have any intention of doing in the first place.
This is just pure B.S. from the WBO. It's like someone in their office has a massively outdated list of boxers and chose two names they recognized to try and drum up interest in a fight that isn't going to happen, certainly not at the weight suggested, and at the expense of Lopez, who is a hotter fighter than both Marquez and Ponce de Leon put together. It really makes no sense, but then again, the WBO once ranked a dead guy, so what should we expect?