As predicted on July 1 in a report entitled "Morel will not face Montiel," the interim world bantamweight champion of the World Boxing Organization (WBO), Eric Morel of Puerto Rico withdrew last Friday from his scheduled fight with the WBO and World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight champion, Fernando "Kochulito" Montiel of Mexico. It was scheduled for this Saturday, July 17, in Chiapas, Mexico. Now, Montiel will be defending his WBC title, against former world champion Rafael "El Torito" Concepcion of Panama.
Guillermo Brito of Zanfer Promotions, told the Mexican newspaper ESTO "the team of Eric Morel sent us a statement where they say he was injured in training on Thursday and could not make the fight. "
We contacted the president of the WBO, Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel, to know the status of champion Morel and to confirm his medical justification. This is what the WBO president told us, rather upset with the situation and with the legal counsel of Morel, Gabriel Peñagaricano:
"We are expecting the medical tests. On Thursday, Gabriel Peñagaricano called me to ask if we could approve Morel to receive some money to step aside, so that Montiel could fight, because he said that the money of Morel is very low and it came as a result of the purse bid, "said Valcarcel to NotiFight.com Valcárcel.
"Morel was offered $115,000 to fight in Puerto Rico, with Nonito Donaire, last Saturday. He (Peñagaricano) said no, believing that Montiel would not fight with him and remain the full champion, but that strategy failed, "stated Valcárcel.
Valcárcel continued stating: "On Thursday, Gaby Peñagaricano called me to ask me to help him, that Morel get some money to step aside, and then later fight Montiel. Also, I spoke with Bob Arum and Fernando Beltrán, utilizing, according to what told me that Beltrán spoke to Mauricio Sulaiman. Mauricio spoke with Beltrán, by the order of Gaby Peñagarícano. Now, everyone told him that there was no more money, that he had to fight for $20,000 dollars. Friday he sends a letter saying that Morel had been injured and could not fight. Then, that same Thursday was the day that he was asking everyone for money. For Bob Arum to give more. For Beltrán to give more money, to step aside."
On the medical exams? "Already we have requested for him to provide all of the records regarding his injury. Once we receive them, we are going to submit him for more rigorosos exams, because it is a big coincidence that all this happens when the lawyer was asking to "step aside" and we told him that he couldn't. Once we have the medical exams, they will be studied by our medical committee and an independent expert will be hired, so that he can perform an exam (on Morel) and send a report to us. Based on the independent report, then we will make decisions."
President Valcárcel Conclude Energetically: "What displeases me, is that Peñagarícano is a lawyer and member of the executive board of the WBC, and spoke with Mauricio, who is the executive director of the WBC, telling him to speak with Beltrán so that they can get more money to step aside. Beltrán told this to me and he can confirm it also. This is a clear conflict of interest. As you are representing a champion of the WBO, negotiating to fight a champion, who also has a title of the WBC (Montiel), and you are a member of the executive board of the WBC, trying to obtain additional money for a fight. Gaby Peñagarícano should renounce publicly his representation of Morel."
