By Mark Vester
WBC super bantamweight champ Israel Vazquez is answering the call of his WBO counterpart, Juan Manuel Lopez. For the last few weeks, Lopez has been calling for a unification bout with Vazquez. While the Mexican champion is open to the idea of fighting Lopez, he doesn't believe the fight makes financial sense at this time. He says the fight will be much bigger in the future as Juanma builds his name.
"I've never backed down from a challenge in my career and Juanma represents a challenge to me, but I don't believe that it's the right time for the fight. It's not because of fear, but it has to be right from an economic point of view, so we'll take a look in the future," Vazquez told Primera Hora.
Vazquez says that Lopez is one of the best at the weight, but money dictates opponents these days. In the near future, he wants to jump in weight to 126-pounds. As far as his next fight, he told the paper that it's probably going to be Jorge Arce in February or March of next year.
"After three tough fighters with Rafael Marquez, it's best to give the body a good rest before fighting again. Clearly, the rivalry of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico would be exciting and good for boxing. The other factor would be youth vs. experience, two ingredients that would make Juanma a very attractive fight," Vazquez said. "Juanma is one of the better fighters in the division, but the fighter are not the ones who choose their opponents, the promoters do, so the possibility exists."
"I'll probably have one or two more fights at 122-pound and then look for a title in another weight division. I want to make history in the sport by winning titles in several different weight divisions. Very few Mexicans have done it and I want to part of that group."
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