Ponce De Leon Ready For Yordan, Wants Juanma/Gamboa
By Mark Vester
Former champion Daniel Ponce De Leon is currently training in Maywood, California for the potential war with Daud Yordan of Indonesia. The two power hitters will clash on the Shane Mosley-Andre Berto welterweight unification undercard, scheduled for January 30 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. They will fight for the vacant WBA-interim featherweight title.
Ponce De Leon says there is a chance the date may get switched but he hopes that everything stays in place because he is pacing himself in training for the January date. He wants the fight to lead to a rematch with Juan Manuel Lopez, who knocked him out in a single round to capture the WBO super bantamweight title in 2008. If he doesn't get Lopez, he wants WBA full champion Yuriorkis Gamboa.
"Of course I want him but Juanma has to deal with Steven Luevano [on January 23] and that is going to be a difficult fight for him, but if he wins, the fight with me would be a featherweight unification because I will win the [interim] title," Ponce De Leon told notifight. I want a rematch. I was hit with a lucky punch and he knock me out. I was winning the round and got caught cold. If we have a second fight, I will be a lot better and I want my revenge."
Ponce likes the featherweight limit. He was struggling to make the weight for a while and his body now feels better.
“I feel well. I had to force myself to make weight for my last few fights. I now realize that this is my ideal weight," Ponce De Leon said.
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