MANILA, Philippines – Mexican boxing legend Erik Morales wants to co-manage Denver Cuello?s career and is offering the Iloilo fighter a chance to challenge WBA minimumweight champion Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua in Tijuana on July 17.
Morales and Cuello?s manager Aljoe Jaro had a one-on-one meeting the day after the Filipino was disqualified in the third round for hitting a bloodied Juan Hernandez as he knelt on the canvas at the Salon Plaza Condesa, Mexico City, last Saturday.
?Erik asked if he could be my partner in managing Denver,? said Jaro who returns to Manila with Cuello tomorrow. ?He watched Denver?s fight at ringside and was impressed. Erik told me if it?s okay, he?ll arrange a title fight for Denver against Gonzalez. He even apologized for the referee?s decision to disqualify Denver but advised me to just accept it.?
Gonzalez is booked to stake his 105-pound crown in the undercard of Morales? WBC International welterweight title defense against Vicente Escobedo at the Palenque del Hipodromo Caliente, Tijuana, on July 17. Mexican Jesus Silvestre, who was halted by Filipino Donnie Nietes early this year, is a candidate to challenge Gonzalez.
Because of Cuello?s showing against Hernandez, Morales is now considering to replace Silvestre as Gonzalez? challenger. Morales owns the promotions company, Box Latino, that will stage the Tijuana card. Morales? associates in Box Latino include his brother Diego as matchmaker, Carlos Mera and Aquilles Torres.
Jaro said he will await WBC executive secretary Mauricio Sulaiman?s advice before committing to Morales. What makes Morales? offer an attractive proposition is Cuello will take on Gonzalez in a neutral country, ruling out the possibility of a hometown decision. Besides, it will be a fight for the world title ? not an eliminator.
Cuello fought Hernandez in an eliminator to decide WBC minimumweight champion Oleydong Sithsanerchai?s next challenger. Oleydong has been ordered to defend his title against the winner by October. If Cuello battles Gonzalez, his title crack will come sooner than if he earned the right to challenge Oleydong.
Gonzalez, 22, stopped Yutaka Niida to wrest the WBA diadem in Yokohama two years ago. The Nicaraguan has since repulsed three challengers ? Francisco Rosas, Katsunari Takayama and Ivan Meneses. His record is 25-0, with 21 KOs compared to Cuello?s 19-3-5 mark, including 10 KOs.
Jaro said even Hernandez admitted he couldn?t continue ? not because of the illegal blow that disqualified Cuello but because of the beating he took previously.
?Hernandez was scared of Denver,? said Jaro. ?He kept running away. Before the third round, Denver told me he would knock out Hernandez. I told him to stay close and attack the body which he did. It started with a left straight to the nose and suddenly, there was blood all over Hernandez? face. Then he hit him with a left uppercut to the side of the body. Hernandez stepped back and fell to his knees. The referee (Guadalupe Garcia) was too far from where they were. Denver rushed in to follow up and connected with a left to the stomach. From a kneeling position, Hernandez fell flat on his back. Denver won but lost. Hernandez lost but won. Ay naku po ? what a tragedy.?
Cuello?s consolation is he may still get a shot at a world title in his next fight ? if Morales persuades Gonzalez to face the Filipino on July 17 and Sulaiman gives his blessing. The hitch is more political than anything as Cuello holds the WBC International championship and is the WBC?s No. 1 contender while Gonzalez is the WBA titleholder.
?At first, I couldn?t accept Denver?s loss but after watching the replay with the WBC officials at ringside, I saw that Hernandez got hit when he was down,? said Jaro. ?The fans applauded Denver because of his sportsmanship. He didn?t show disrespect to the officials even if he thought the decision was unfair because Hernandez should?ve lost by knockout. A lot of Mexican fans were happy that Hernandez won but a lot more felt Denver should?ve won. Denver was mobbed by Mexican fans as he left the stadium. The fans chanted his name like he won the fight.?
