Manny Pacquiao will defend his newly-won WBC lightweight title against KO specialist Edwin Valero in November if the Venezuelan gets medical clearance from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Valero has won every one of his 24 fights inside the distance, 19 in the first round, but is banned in most US states after undergoing brain surgery four years ago for injuries suffered in a motorbike accident.
He has been licensed to fight in Texas, and promoter Bob Arum said he hoped the Nevada commission would follow suit. Valero holds the WBA super-featherweight title, but has been struggling to make the weight.
Pacquiao became the first Filipino to win world titles at four different weights by knocking out David Diaz, the defending WBC champion, in the ninth round last weekend.
Froch wants JT
Britain’s Carl Froch will contest the WBC super-middleweight title with American Jermain Taylor if Joe Calzaghe confirms that he is giving up the belt to stay at light-heavyweight.
“I just hope Taylor shows a real fighting heart and goes though with this fight,” said Froch, unbeaten in his 23 bouts. “I’ve heard he is thinking of fighting Jeff Lacy next, but that would be a mismatch.”
Chagaev is out
WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev was forced to withdraw from tonight’s scheduled title defence against 7ft Russian Nicolay Valuev after tearing his Achilles tendon.
The Uzbekistan fighter won a majority decision over Valuev in 2007 and they were due to meet again in May until Chagaev picked up a viral infection.
Linca passes on
Nicolae Linca, whose controversial win over Fred Tiedt in the welterweight final of the 1956 Olympics deprived the Irishman a gold medal, has died in his native Romania. He was 79.
Nat Fleischer, late editor of The Ring, described the Melbourne result as one of the worst decisions he had seen in Olympic competition. Tiedt, whose son Emile is one of Ireland’s top professional referees, died in 1999.
