By Rick Reeno
Sampson Lewkowicz, adviser to WBC Diamond middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, expects the World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman to strip unbeaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. of his organization's middleweight title in the coming days. Chavez made a voluntary defense of the title on Saturday night in Houston, Texas; stopping Peter Manfredo Jr. in the fifth round.
A few months ago, Sulaiman issued an order which allowed Chavez to make a voluntary defense before meeting the requirement of a mandatory title bout against Martinez. Sulaiman promised to strip Chavez if he bypassed the Martinez fight, which the Mexican champion is required to satisfy by the end of March. The winner of Chavez-Martinez will then have to face Marco Antonio Rubio, the WBC's number one ranked contender.
"I believe in the coming days, the WBC will make a decision. Don Jose is a man of his word and I expect the WBC to return the belt to Sergio Martinez, who never lost the title in the ring," Lewkowicz told BoxingScene.com.
