Denver Cuello's team upset with WBC mandatory shot postponement

The manager of Filipino boxer Denver Cuello is upset that the World Boxing Council (WBC) has once again decided to postpone Cuello's mandatory shot at their strawweight title.

Aljoe Jaro, who trains and manages the Iloilo-native Cuello, says he is even considering legal action to enforce Cuello's mandatory title shot, which was originally delayed in order to allow the previously unranked Xiong Zhao Zhong of China to fight for the vacant title. The WBC is now granting Zhong an optional title defense against an opponent of his choice.

"I told them, 'I don't want to step aside again,'" said Jaro, who resides in the Rizal province. "We need the green belt."

Cuello (32-4-6, 21 knockouts) has been the mandatory challenger since last May, when he knocked out Ganigan Lopez in two rounds in a WBC elimination bout. At the WBC's request, Cuello agreed to step aside for a fee in order for them to allow Zhong to become the first Chinese world titleholder with the agreement that he would get a shot at Zhong within three months. Jaro says the WBC asked them to step aside once again, but they refused.

The WBC's account differs slightly.

In an email to GMA News, WBC president Jose Sulaiman says that the organization reached their decision to allow Zhong an optional defense at the WBC convention in Cancun, Mexico last month, and that Jaro wasn't present to object.

"As there was no opposition from anyone at the convention, the Board of Governors proceeded to take a voting that rendered a unanimous approval of such a voluntary defense, with the condition that the next defense from the winner will, without exception, make a mandatory defense against Denver Cuello," said Sulaiman.

Jaro says that he was at the convention from its beginning on December 2 to 6, before leaving for the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez IV fight in Las Vegas. Jaro says that Xiong Zhao Zhong and his representatives left for Vegas that same day.

"During the convention, I don't need my appearance because the WBC already mandated the winner in China to fight Denver is the next challenger, but because of my loyalty I will spend to attend," said Jaro.

Jaro says that he is entertaining possibilities of matching Cuello with IBF titleholder Mario Rodriguez (15-6-4, 11 KOs) of Mexico, or challenging for the vacant WBA title.

An email to Zhong's manager Liu Gang requesting comment was not returned. - CLP, GMA News

 

Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and contributes to GMA News. He is also a member of The Ring ratings panel and can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com. An archive of his work can be found here. Follow him on Twitter too.