By Jose Luis Camarillo, notifight.com
According to World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman, former two division world champion Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13KOs) will become the mandatory challenger to WBC featherweight king Daniel Ponce De Leon (44-4, 35KOs).
Ponce was scheduled to face mandatory challenger Jayson Velez on March 2, but the Puerto Rican challenger withdrew with an injury and now the WBC is going to replace him, placing Mares in the mandatory position.
Making the fight should be no problem, since both boxers are under contract to the same promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, and share the same manager in Frank Espinoza.
Mares vacated his WBC super bantamweight title to move up in weight to 126. Sulaiman explained that under the WBC regulations -" a fighter giving up his title to move up in weight, he becomes the mandatory challenger [to the WBC title at the new weight]."
"It would be great to see a fight between Ponce and Mares," said Sulaiman.
Ponce would likely have to face Jhonny Gonzalez in a rematch. Last year Ponce decisioned Gonzalez to win the WBC title. The former champion, however, has a rematch clause.
Ponce said: "We're waiting for my next opponent. I do not know yet who [my next fight] will be against. Whoever it is, I do not care. [Mares and Gonzalez] are both good."
