SULAIMAN SAYS CUELLO WILL FIGHT FOR WBC TITLE IN CHINA IN JULY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 30 Apr 2013
World Boxing Council president Don Jose Sulaiman has confirmed that No.1 ranked Denver Cuello will finally get his mandatory title shot against China?s Xiong Zhao Zhong in China, sometime in July.
Sulaiman said he was not certain about the date or the venue for the fight although he said it would be in one of the largest cities in China.
His brief interview was seen on You Tube.
The Cuello-Zhong title fight will be the second such event on mainland China.
Mexico?s Juan Francisco Estrada won the WBO/WBA titles when he beat Brian Viloria in Macau, China, last April 6.
Sulaiman disclosed that they expect 200 million viewers of the fight on the free television networks in China surpassing the 130 million who watched Zhong win the title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Mexzico?s Javier Martinez Resendiz in Kunming last November 24.
The Chinese world champion was scheduled to face Nicaragua?s Carlos Ortega but that fight was canceled, according to Sulaiman and Zhong will now defend his title against mandatory challenger Cuello.
Sulaiman noted that Cuello who is managed and trained by Aljoe Jaro ?has been waiting for the opportunity for almost a year after stepping down to allow Zhong to fight for the vacant title against Javier Rezendiz.
The WBC board of governors at its convention in Cancun granted Zhong a voluntary defense before his mandatory defense against Cuello but that fight was canceled and Sulaiman revealed Zhong will go ahead with his mandatory defense against the hard-hitting Filipino southpaw.
Sulaiman said the Chinese people are ?very interested? in seeing the Zhong-Cuello title fight even as the WBC president said he expects ?the best man to win.?
He said the WBC wants to support China which is the largest country in the world even as he added ?the WBC has great expectations for boxing in China and we are very proud that the WBC staged the first world title fight in China.?
The 30 year old Zhong has a record of 20-4-1 with 11 knockouts while the 26 year old Cuello has a record of 33-4-6 with 21 knockouts.
In his last tune-up fight, Cuello won a ten round majority decision over Japan?s Takashi Kunishige in Osaka. Cuello previously won the vacant WBC Silver title with a 1st round TKO of Carlos Perez on October 15, 2011 in Mexico and followed it up with a 2nd round TKO over fancied Ganigan Lopez also in Mexico on May 19, 2012 which earned Cuello the right to face Zhong.
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