By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com spoke with Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum to touch base on the ongoing rumors that Fernando Montiel will travel to Japan to fight Hozumi Hasegawa in a bantamweight unification bout on April 30. As previously reported on BoxingScene, the rumors are false. This past Monday, Teiken Promotions held a press conference in Japan to announce the fight. Arum, who co-promotes Montiel with Mexico-based Zanfer Promotions, confirmed BoxingScene's story on the situation. Pursuant to a prior agreement, Montiel has to fight interim-champion Eric Morel of Puerto Rico.
"That's not true. Zanfer, and even Montiel himself said it's not true. He's not going over there. They sent a contract to Fernando and he's not going to send it back. He has an obligation to defend his title against [Eric] Morel. We have no problem with that because he's living up to his end of the obligation," Arum told BoxingScene.com
