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Chris Avalos has decided to pass on a mandatory title shot at Guillermo Rigondeaux, according to WBO President Paco Valcarcel, who tweeted yesterday about the situation, and said the WBO will try to figure out where to go from here.
Chris Avalos apparently pulls out from Rigondeaux fight. WBO Championship Committee to make determination tomorrow on Rigondeaux mandatory.
— Paco Valcárcel, Esq. (@PacoValcarcel) September 25, 2014
Rigondeaux's team at Caribe Promotions won a purse bid on September 19, which would have paid Rigondeaux about $238,000 and Avalos a little more than $79,000 for a fight. Avalos (24-2, 18 KO) won an IBF eliminator on May 31, beating Yasutaka Ishimoto in Macau, and he may be instead targeting a fight with Carl Frampton.
Rigondeaux (14-0, 9 KO) last fought July 19 in Macau, beating Sod Kokietgym via second round knockout. The 33-year-old champion is having an even worse time finding opponents now that he's not with Top Rank, and it hurts, too, that U.S. TV is totally indifferent to televising his fights.