By Mark Vester

Recently the WBC announced that super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez would be stripped of the title and elevated to the status of "champion emeritus." Vazquez has been recovering from surgical procedures to repair a detached retina. There is no set time line as to when he will be cleared by doctors to return, but his new status will give him an immediate title shot at whoever is the champion.

Former champions Jhonny Gonzalez and Rafael Marquez were both named by the WBC as being in the running to fight the winner of the January 3 bout between interim champion Toshiaki Nishioka and Genaro Garcia. Gonzalez's attorney, Reginaldo Kuchle, told ESTO that his fighter is expected to receive the opportunity. Marquez is looking for major fights and he was recently linked to a possible fight with WBA/IBF super bantamweight champ Celestino Caballero.

If Nishioka wins, a fight with Gonzalez will likely take place in Japan, but if Garcia pulls it out, the Gonzalez bout will head off to Mexico.

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