By Jhonny Gonzalez
Former two division champion Jorge Linares (31-1, 19 KOs) wants a big fight in 2011. On Saturday night at the Mazatlan Convention Center in Mazatlan, he stopped Adrian Verdugo (18-5-1, 15 KOs) in the seventh round of a lightweight bout. Since the first round drilling at the hands of Mexico's Juan Carlos Salgado in 2009, he won four in a row including good performances against Francisco Lorenzo, Rocky Juarez and Jesus Chavez.
Linares wants to fight either WBC champion Humbtero Soto, or WBA/WBO interim-lightweight champion Robert Guerrero. With full WBO/WBA champion Juan Manuel Marquez moving up to 140-pounds in a planned July return, and then going higher to 144-pounds to fight Manny Pacquiao on November 12 - Guerrero will likely become the full champion of both organizations.
Linares wants to move to Los Angeles, California and plans to train at the Wild Card Gym with veteran coach Freddie Roach.
"I want Soto or Guerrero. My plan is to move and train in Los Angeles. I wish [that I could train] with Roach. The Wild Card Gym is the best place to learn with great sparring. I will prove my skills and be the best," Linares said.