By Jake Donovan

Fernando Montiel believes there is enough fight left in him to one day resume his championship ways.

For now, the former three-division titlist is content with lending his name to towns in his native Mexico that could stand the economic boost.

Montiel (48-4-2, 37KO) returns to Chihuahua for his second straight fight when he faces Giovani Caro on November 24. The fight takes place at the newly renovated Jose “Neri” Santos Municipal Gym in Ciudad Juarez, and will air live on Televisa as part of the network’s ‘Sabado de Corona’ series.

“We’ve (fought) in Chihuahua earlier this year and it went very well,” states Montiel, who aims for his third straight win in as many ring appearances in 2012. “The people here are passionate. For the more knowledgeable fans that are here in Mexico, I assure you that you will be fulfilled.”

The fight takes place at 122 lb. limit, where Montiel feels at his best these days. Championship reigns have come at flyweight, super flyweight and bantamweight over the course of his 16-year career. Montiel netted a career-defining moment with a come-from-behind 4th round knockout of Hozumi Hasegawa on the road in Japan in April ’10.

The glory was short-lived; Montiel suffered a vicious 2nd round knockout loss at the hands of Nonito Donaire in their HBO-televised bantamweight title unification bout last February. The bout was his last at bantamweight, immediately moving up to 122 lb. Two wins followed before an upset loss to Victor Terrazas last November had many believing the end was near.

Montiel has since won two straight, with the upcoming showdown against Caro marking his sixth straight appearance in his native Mexico. The 33-year old visited the local government in Ciudad Juarez early Monday to promote the fight, at which point they discussed the best ways to present the fight to the people and pump money back into a struggling economy.

“Those attending will have the satisfaction of witnessing a first-rate show,” Montiel insists. “For my part, I am prepared to defend this championship and return to the big billboards. But first I have to get past a great opponent in ‘Ruso’ Caro.”

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter: @JakeNDaBox

Tags: Fernando Montiel