By Ryan Burton
 
Former Fres Oquendo manager Tom Tsatas contacted BoxingScene.com after reading a piece that ran on the site concerning Dan Goossen's desire for James Toney to get a shot at WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.  "Fres will take that fight.  I think he has earned it.  James has had his chances over and over.  Everyone knows what happened when Fres fought him."  Tsatas went on to say, "Now that Valuev has turned down the fight you have James, Olandier Solis who has fought 15 fights and Fres.  I think Fres is as deserving as those other guys.  He owns the USBA and NABA titles.  When he fought James Toney everyone knows he won that fight.  I think he is the best American heavyweight out there."
 
Tsatas noted that Oquendo just scored a TKO victory over Demetrice King who going into that fight had only been stopped by Shannon Briggs.  Tsatas thinks that Oquendo's 80" reach (which is the same as Vitaly Klitschko's) and strong jab will keep him in the fight until the late rounds and that Oquendo has a chance to stop Klitschko on cuts.  He looks at Klitschko's recent wins over Sam Peter who didn't come to fight, a blown up  cruiserweight in Juan Carlos Gomez, a not ready Chris Arreola and a weak performance by Kevin Johnson and thinks that Fres is just as deservering as any of them. If a fight with Klitschko cannot be made, Tsatas would like Oquendo to take on the winner between Travis Walker and Johnathan Banks who fight on March 20th for the vacant NABF title.
 
Tsatas is a lot more confident in Oquendo's chances versus Klitschko than I am.  After pointing out the Peter and Johnson debacles I can see why he thinks that Oquendo is as deserving as they are.  Personally I think James Toney and Fres Oquendo should fight again.  There was enough controversy in the first fight to warrant a rematch.  At this point Vitali Klitschko doesn't have a lot of options.  I have a feeling that Nikolai Valuev will end up taking the $2.5 million to fight Klitschko when he realizes he cannot make that kind of money fighting anyone else.
 
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