By Steve Kim
On Saturday night from the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, Miguel Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) won the WBC super featherweight title by stopping previously undefeated Francisco Vargas in eleven rounds.
In the semi-main, Takashi Miura (30-3-2, 24 KOs) halted Miguel Roman in twelve of a final WBC final super featherweight title eliminator.
Prior to the two scheduled fights, the WBC had mandated that the winners would have to face each other.
Fernando Beltran, the head of Zanfer Promotions (which handles Berchelt), has no problems with the WBC order to make a mandatory defense against Miura.
"We will go by the rules of the WBC, we're very respectful and I think that's the fight people want to see," Beltran told BoxingScene.com inside of Berchelt's dressing room, in the aftermath of the boxer's momentous victory."
" Currently the 130-pound division is stacked with numerous possibilities of fights that are enticing to the public. There's a lot of combinations that can be made,(Vasyl) Lomachenko, Miura,(Orlando) Salido, Jason Sosa, there's a lot of fighters in this division."
But up next will be the Japanese southpaw who once held this WBC title and lost it in the 2015 Fight of The Year war with Vargas.
"If Miura is ready, he was in a tough fight tonight, also Berchelt was in a tough fight - but I think people deserve Miura-Berchelt. I think it's a great combination, both guys punch hard,'' said Beltran, who believes he has another superstar.
"We have a new star for Mexico and the world. But I'm telling you, in Mexico he's going to be in the driver's seat."
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.