VALERO TO FIGHT PITALUA FOR WBC LIGHTWEIGHT INTERIM TITLE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Nov 2008
World Boxing Council president Don Jose Sulaiman says undefeated Edwin Valero will fight Colombia?s Antonio Pitalua for the WBC lightweight interim title following statements by the camp of Manny Pacquiao that he has no plans of returning to defend his title and would continue campaigning at a 140 pounds.
In an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Sulaiman said the planned interim title fight had been approved at the recent WBC Convention in Chengu, China.
Sulaiman was unable to categorically state how long the WBC will give Pacquiao to keep his 135 pound crown because he said the Pacquiao people ?say something today and tomorrow they change and I prefer not to go into any specifics.?
However, Sulaiman made it clear that ?the position of the WBC is that Pacquiao is the champion of the world and we are conceding a special permit for him to fight? Oscar De La Hoya on December 6 at the stipulated weight of 147 pounds.
At the same time Sulaiman said he had ?reached an agreement with Pacquiao?s lawyer (Franklin ?Jeng? Gacal) with the WBC accepting the offer from Pacquiao? covering the sanction fees for the De La Hoya fight of $50,000.
Sulaiman said ?if he is not going to fight again in the lightweight division I am sure that was reached by advice to Manny from promoter Bob Arum.?
He said ?we want to keep him (Pacquiao) as a WBC champion even as he said ?it would be very foolish to move up to a different weight.?
Undefeated southpaw Valero from Venezuela is 26 year old and a KO artist with a 24-0 record with 24 knockouts while Pitalua is 38 with a record of 46-3 with 40 knockouts.
Valero has relinquished his WBA super featherweight title which he won via a 10th round TKO against Vicente Mosquera on August 5, 2006 to move up to the lightweight division in the hope of getting a shot at Pacquiao, just like Juan Manuel Marquez has done. But with Pacquiao?s announced plans to fight at junior welterweight the fights Marquez and Valero dream of are unlikely to happen.
Pitalua is coming off an impressive 5th round knockout over Jose Armando Santa Cruz last September 20. Santa Cruz is the same fighter who was completely out-boxing David Diaz until he was caught with a solid combination in the tenth round and lost by TKO. Diaz of course was demolished by Pacquiao in nine rounds to win the WBC lightweight title.
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