By Mark Vester
WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel has shot down rumors of a bout being put together which pits Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico and Michael Jennings of the UK for the vacant WBO welterweight title. There has been "speculation" of such a fight based on Williams, the WBO champon at 147, making a decision to face IBF junior middleweight champ Verno Phillips on November 29.
Paco made it known that Williams has never given them official notice or an indication that he is planning to vacate the title, and if he did, there is no guarantee that Cotto will be facing Jennings. The WBO expects Williams to vacate, if he beats Phillips, but the bout for the vacant title will match the two highest ranked available contenders. Cotto is ranked at number one, and Jennings at two, but Paco indicates that there is nothing for them to think that Cotto would consider a fight with Jennings.
Cotto's promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank is planning to place the Puerto Rican fighter in a rematch with WBA champ Antonio Margarito. The fight is eyed for early June. That can change if Arum is unable to get an interim fight for Margarito in January, which may bump the rematch with Cotto to as early as February. If Arum does land Margarito a suitable opponent for early 09, like Shane Mosley, then he would like to place Cotto in the ring with either Kermit Cintron or Jesus Soto Karass.
Many doubt that Arum would put Cotto in the ring with a fighter like Jennings, who is unknown in the United States, to help build the summer rematch with Margarito.
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