By Mark Vester
Unbeaten Puerto Rican prospect Juan Manuel Lopez (20-0, 18KOs) has set his sights on WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon (34-1, 30KOs). Lopez, promoted by Top Rank, says that Golden Boy Promotions is first looking to match Ponce De Leon in a rematch with bantamweight champ Gerry Penalosa. Lopez, who is the WBO mandatory, hopes to meet Ponce De Leon by the summer.
"He's talking about a fight with Gerry Peñalosa. It seems like Golden Boy Promotions wants to get it done," Lopez told Primera Hora. "The information given to me is that I have until the summer to get the mandatory shot, so the fight can be in July or August."
Lopez told Primera Hora that Ponce De Leon is avoiding the fight, and will probably do his best to further postpone their meeting.
"(He) is running. He doesn't want to give me the opportunity. He doesn't want to fight with me, but I don't care because I have no doubt that I'll be fighting before August for a world title," Lopez said.
Lopez returns on February 23 against Jonathan Oquendo at the Coliseo Hector Sola Bezares in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
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