By Miguel Rivera

Ricky Marquez, manager of undefeated Puerto Rican lightweight contender Felix 'El Diamante' Verdejo, believes there is more than meets the eye when it comes to unexpected injury suffered by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight champion, Terry Flanagan .

Márquez, while acknowledging Flanagan's quality and trajectory, believes the champion was not satisfied with the economic terms recently reached by the parties for a scheduled showdown on September 16 in the United Kingdom - and feels that may have "provoked" the injury.

Flanagan's promoter Frank Warren sent an email on Monday to promoter Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, reporting the claimed injury to his fighter, on one of his legs. They did not indicate the severity of the injury and did not reveal whether it was the right or left leg. Flanagan is expected to send medical evidence to WBO.

The fight would have taken place at the Copper Box in London, as part of the show which features WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders defending the belt against Willie Monroe Jr.

"We do not know what will happen we'll determine that later with the sanctioning body. And we do not know how serious Flanagan's injury will be. We have to wait. One proposes and God disposes. We are still working," Marquez said to Carlos Narvaez.

"He's an undefeated 33-fight champion, but I think his dissatisfaction with the terms of the fight, according to an article I read, could have caused the injury. I was very surprised [when he withdrew]."

"I do not like to speculate, because in sports there is always a latent possibility of injury. But what makes me think that all these things are developing this way, are the prior facts - like what happened last Friday where Flanagan's manager was trying to find other alternatives not to fight with Felix. All of this leads me to think this way. I think Flanagan is a champion. I do not think he has any reservations about fighting Felix. But I think it's also purely business."