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By Jake Donovan - There was a fair amount of head-scratching going into Daniel Ponce de Leon’s featherweight bout with Antonio Escalante this past September. Not so much over the matchup – which was solid on paper, but turned out to a be a rout – but more so what awaited the winner.
Ponce de Leon (40-2, 33KO) was the odds-on favorite to win, and did so in spectacular fashion, scoring a violent third round knockout over the El Paso native.
With that win came the hard sell – justifying a possible rematch with Juan Manuel Lopez.
There’s no immediate push by the sanctioning body that claims Lopez as its champion, for an immediate mandatory title defense.
It’s probably a good thing, since there’s no immediate demand to watch the undefeated Puerto Rican once again face a man he’s already stopped in a single round two years ago.
Promoter Bob Arum has other plans for his rising Puerto Rican star, including a return to the ring next spring, followed by what he hopes (along with everyone else in the industry) to be a highly anticipated showdown with fellow undefeated featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Past history has shown those in Ponce de Leon’s position to push for a title shot, often clamoring for the reigning champion to be stripped of his belt. Such a move ensures their fighter receives a title shot, although there comes the risk of facing an obscure challenger for far less money in exchange for scooping up a vacant belt. [Click Here To Read More]
Ponce de Leon (40-2, 33KO) was the odds-on favorite to win, and did so in spectacular fashion, scoring a violent third round knockout over the El Paso native.
With that win came the hard sell – justifying a possible rematch with Juan Manuel Lopez.
There’s no immediate push by the sanctioning body that claims Lopez as its champion, for an immediate mandatory title defense.
It’s probably a good thing, since there’s no immediate demand to watch the undefeated Puerto Rican once again face a man he’s already stopped in a single round two years ago.
Promoter Bob Arum has other plans for his rising Puerto Rican star, including a return to the ring next spring, followed by what he hopes (along with everyone else in the industry) to be a highly anticipated showdown with fellow undefeated featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Past history has shown those in Ponce de Leon’s position to push for a title shot, often clamoring for the reigning champion to be stripped of his belt. Such a move ensures their fighter receives a title shot, although there comes the risk of facing an obscure challenger for far less money in exchange for scooping up a vacant belt. [Click Here To Read More]
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