By Rick Reeno
It didn't take long for WBC junior middleweight champion Vernon Forrest (40-2, 29KOs) to answer the call of Antonio Margarito (35-5, 25KOs). During an earlier interview with BoxingScene.com, Sergio Diaz, manager of Margarito, said his fighter would be willing to move up to 154 and fight Forrest.
"I see Vernon Forrest talking all this trash that nobody will fight him. Margarito will move up to 154-pounds and fight him. He's always wanted the green belt. Margarito will fight anyone," Diaz said.
A few things would have to happen before the fight could even begin to take shape. Margarito is slated to fight Zab Judah on May 3. But, Judah is having issues with his promoter, Prize Fight Boxing, and those very issues could eliminate him from the fight. Margarito is also slated to fight WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in the main event of a July pay-per-view.
The bout with Judah is a tough stepping stone to the Cotto date. Taking a fight with Forrest is a big risk with a shot at Cotto hanging in the balance. Margarito is certainly a risk taker. In 2007, also with a pay-per-view shot at Cotto hanging in the balance, Margarito accepted the challenge of undefeated Paul "The Punisher" Williams. Williams won a close unanimous decision. It's hard to see Top Rank letting this one happen when Margarito is the opponent of choice for Cotto first pay-per-view of 2008.
Forrest tells BoxingScene that he's accepting the challenge with open arms, and doesn't see the fight being a close one.
