Luis Collazo To Meet Selcuk Aydin For Interim WBC Welterweight Title In Turkey?

by James Slater - Though fans agree there are already far too many interim title fights and interim champions in the sport, it seems there will be another interim title bout fought in June; in Turkey. According to BoxRec, welterweights Luis Collazo and Selcuk Aydin will clash in Istanbul on June 5th, to decide the interim WBC welterweight title.. Though everyone knows the real WBC welterweight champion is Andre Berto, and though everyone knows Berto will still will be the real WBC 147-pound ruler despite what happens between Collazo and Aydin (unless he's upset by Carlos Quintana this coming Saturday that is!), this match-up is indeed a good one. 26-year-old Aydin, unbeaten at 19-0(15) has an exciting, somewhat brawling style, and the Turkish warrior who competed at the Olympics in 2004 will feel he is ready for the likes of Collazo. Having won a WBC eliminator in his last fight, when he KO'd Belgium's Jackson Osei Bonsu in the 9th-round back in July of last year (the same Bonsu who was recently taken out in a round by banger Randall Bailey), Aydin scored his biggest win so far. A win over Collazo, though it won't make him a champion in the eyes of most, would be an even bigger victory for the man know as "Mini-Tyson." 28-year-old Collazo is a fighter well known to fans. Having been a big name player for a good five years or so - with Collazo having reigned as the WBA welterweight champion in 2005 and 2006 and having also rumbled with the likes of Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley and the aforementioned Berto - the tough New Yorker has made his mark at world level already. The January 2009 battle Collazo had with the current WBC 147-pound king was one of the fights of the year, and fans would certainly enjoy seeing a rematch. Getting one will surely be Collazo's motivation upon entering the June fight in Turkey. Collazo, 30-4(15), has not been at all active since the points loss to Berto; having boxed just once since - a 6th-round TKO over the little-known David Gogichaishvili in June of last year. So ring-rust could well be a problem for him against Aydin (who will have been out for almost a year himself come June 5th). Also, the war with Berto may well have taken something out of Collazo. Aydin is a hungry fighter, but it would be a mistake to count out Collazo; what with him being the taller man with the longer reach and him also being a southpaw. Aydin has met southpaws before (his last-but-one-fight, a split decision win over Said Ouali came against a lefty), but he has never met anyone of Collazo's worldly experience and class. However, the younger man by a couple of years will enjoy home country advantage in June (though Turkish, Aydin actually resides in Germany, according to BoxRec). Both men are in possession of a good chin, the more proven Collazo especially (stopped just once, way back in 2002), and both men can punch; with the edge in power going to Aydin. A tough one to pick - primarily because of Collazo's inactivity making it hard to gauge how much he has left and how sharp he will be - I feel we may well see a distance fight. This one could be close, with the man who earns himself a shot at Berto doing so via tight decision. From east side boxing