Miguel Berchelt vs. Orlando Cruz Clash in Play For The Fall?

By Miguel Rivera

Mexico's Miguel 'Scorpion' Berchelt (30-1, 27KOs) is going to stay very busy to close the year out.

With already two fights for the year, Berchelt expects to close out 2016 with two more fights, and one of them could be against the Orlando 'Phenomenon' Cruz (24-4-1, 12KOs) of Puerto Rico.

Berchelt became the WBO's interim super featherweight world champion earlier this year with a sixth round stoppage of George Jupp in Mexico. He is the mandatory challenger to WBO world champion Vasyl Lomachenko.

Berchelt, according to his promoter Mario Abraham Max Boxing, would make his second fight on American soil in the month of October in a ten round contest, and then close out the year by fighting in late November or early December against Cruz or any other challenger.

"The idea is for Miguel to do two more fights before closing the year out. The first fight would be 10 rounds and one involving his world championship. Let's see what happens with Vasyl Lomachenko which is the other champion - but we are willing to make another defense while [Lomachenko] faces Orlando Salido if they reach an agreement,"Abraham told ESPN Deportes.

"The fight would be in October in the United States. There is a promoter who is interested in Phoenix in carrying out the card. That's going to be defined in the coming days. And if all goes well hopefully Berchelt make the second defense of the championship in November or December against Orlando Cruz - if we get a good agreement with his promoter 'Tutico' Zabala, who is my friend. That fight could will be in Yucatán or Quintana Roo which is where we have been asking."

Berchelt is on vacation in Yucatan after getting a knockout win on July 16 against Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo over four rounds, while one day prior Cruz got a stoppage win in seven rounds over Mexican contender Alex Valdez at the Kissimmee Civic Center in Florida.