By Mark Vester
Ivan Rivera, president of Puerto Rico Best Boxing, has confirmed what BoxingScene.com reported on Friday. Rivera will pressure the WBO to strip Fernando Montiel of the WBO bantamweight title for avoiding a mandatory fight with interim-champion Eric Morel. There was a pre-existing contract agreement for Montiel to fight the winner of Morel vs. Gerry Penalosa from last month. Morel won a close decision to earn the shot. Montiel has agreed to fight WBC champion Hozumi Hasegawa on April 30 in Japan.
"If they go foward with that, we are going to ask the WBO to strip Montiel of the title. We made the interim fight because Eric is always being avoided. We are going to contact the WBO and Top Rank because everyone knows about the contracted agreement," Rivera told Vocero.
"We have a contract to fight the winner of Montiel and Ciso Morales on or before June 30. He was always looking for a way to get out of this fight. If it's true, the WBO will to make a decision. We will ask for him to be stripped and for Morel to be declared champion."
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