By Mark Vester

Contrary to the reports coming out of Japan, former WBA flyweight champion Eric Morel (41-2, 21KOs) says that he did not agree, at least not yet, to fight WBC champion Hozumi Hasegawa (27-2, 11KOs) on December 18 at the World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan. Morel is going the legal route to force WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel to get in the ring. Morel is the mandatory challenger but the fight has been postponed a number of times and Montiel has scheduled other fights during the time period.

"That opportunity did emerge, but it is not a sure thing because I have yet to fight Montiel. I have not committed myself going to Japan," Morel told Primera Hora.

Morel is having his lawyer and promoter, PR Best Boxing, force Montiel to step in the ring in early 2010. He feels the WBO is protecting him.

"I believe that the WBO is protecting Montiel. I am the ranked at number one, not someone who was selling donuts at stoplights. It is disrespectful. He took a fight that was supposed be easy and suffered a bad cut. I do not know what happened to the WBO. It is an injustice to me. I'm letting my legal counsel and PR Best Boxing handle the whole thing," Morel said.

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