SALUD SAYS TAPALES DEFENSE AGAINST KING ARTHUR VILLANUEVA, NO PROBLEM

Rex "Wakee" Salud who handles WBO bantamweight champion Marlon "The Nightmare" Tapales, says fighting WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion "is no problem."

Tapales who won the title with a sensational 11th round knockout victory over Thai champion Pungluang Sor Singyu in Thailand told The Manila Standard that Tapales who is already training for his December 30 title defense against Japan's Takuma Inoue is obliged to defend his title against Villanueva who is coming off a spectacular 2nd round knockout of Mexico's Juan Jimenez at the StubHub Center in Carson City, California last Sunday, Manila Time.

Salud told us "the fight against Villanueva is mandatory so why not. It's no problem." But added, "we need to win first in Japan."

However, Salud said ALA Promotions needs to stage the title fight and make Tapales "a good offer."

Philboxing's Dong Secuya who spoke to ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer in Los Angeles quoted Michael who said ?If that happens, we will have no choice but fight him [Tapales].?

However, Aldeguer said he was "looking at the possibility of having Arthur fight for a title in another organization but if a [WBO] mandatory fight will happen against Tapales, we will be forced to do it. It's happening anyway in boxing. Look at the Barrera-Morales wars. It became classics."