Cuello awaits title shot

MANILA, Philippines - WBC/WBO No. 1 minimumweight contender Denver Cuello is in line for a long-overdue title shot and his manager Aljoe Jaro is now in Bangkok negotiating for a fight against WBC champion Xiong Zhao Zhong but if no deal is arranged, the Iloilo southpaw might just end up relocating to train at the Kameda Gym in the east-end Katsushia Ward of Tokyo for a chance to challenge IBF titlist Katsunari Takayama.

To keep busy, Cuello took on Takashi Kunishige in Osaka last Sunday and nearly paid a hefty price for agreeing to fight on a week’s notice. Cuello escaped with a majority 10-round decision although it appeared he was short-changed. Two judges scored it for the Filipino, 97-92 and 96-93, while a third called it a draw, 95-all. Cuello floored Kunishige in the second round and was deducted a point over a freak accident in the fifth.

“The Japanese referee gave me a hard time,” said Cuello in Pilipino. “Kunishige kept clinching and arm-locking my right hand. I got so exasperated that I pulled his arm while he was holding me and he toppled over my back, colliding with the referee who also went down. The referee deducted a point from me for that. Then, in the ninth, I hurt my right hand before the round ended. My manager told me not to show I was hurt but it was obvious. In the last round, the referee kept asking if I could go on. I told him no problem but it looked like he wanted to stop it so Kunishige could win by technical knockout. Luckily, he didn’t stop it.”

Cuello said he lost 17 pounds in a week to make the limit of 108 for the bout. “It was on and off for a while because my manager was negotiating a title shot,” he said. “I was told it would be postponed indefinitely so I stopped training then it was on again. The Kamedas accommodated Sonny Boy Jaro on the undercard so we were obligated to fight.” Sonny Boy Jaro wasn’t as lucky and dropped a unanimous decision to Hiroyuki Hisataka.

Cuello said a muscle strain in his right shoulder prevented him from using his right hand against Kunishige. “I fought with just my left,” he said. “All Kunishige did was to jab. He had no power. I couldn’t counter because he would run away after throwing a jab. So I tried to engage him. That was when I knocked him down. He was really groggy but I didn’t finish him off because I couldn’t set up my left with my right. I used my experience to beat him with just one hand.”

Cuello said tests showed no fracture or major injury in his shoulder. He will undergo therapy to get ready for whatever Jaro is able to finalize in Bangkok or Tokyo. “I’ve waited too long for a title shot,” said Cuello who has won 12 in a row since losing on a highly disputed disqualification to Juan Hernandez in Mexico three years ago. “When the time comes, I’ll make sure to win.”

Jaro said IBF championship committee chairman Lindsay Tucker recently proposed an eliminator between Jaro and No. 11 contender Mateo Handing of Northern Samar with the winner to challenge Takayama. Handig outpointed Takayama in Benguet last year before the Japanese won the IBF crown. Cuello is rated No. 4 by the IBF whose No. 1 and No. 2 slots are vacant and No. 3 Ganigan Lopez was knocked out by the Filipino last year.

The fighting Kameda brothers – Koki, Daiki and Tomoki – offered Cuello to train in their private gym in Tokyo. “They want me to stay in Tokyo so they can expose me to media as a Japanese Pinoy,” said Cuello. “Their plan is to build me up as a challenger for Takayama. They want me to move to Tokyo by May so I could fight for the world title by July.”

The priority is to fight for the WBC crown and the cancellation of Xiong’s May 3 defense against Panama’s Carlos Ortega in Las Vegas could hasten it. Cuello was supposed to be paid a step-aside fee for Ortega to fight Xiong in his place. Ortega has an 8-2 record, with 4 KOs, and has never fought a 10-rounder so he’s expected to be cannon fodder for Takayama.

WBC president Jose Sulaiman informed Jaro of the cancellation and encouraged him to negotiate a fight against Xiong with Ortega scratched as challenger. “Don Jose told me that Xiong’s manager Liu Gang is in Bangkok and I should fly over to talk to him immediately,” said Jaro. “That’s exactly what I did. I hope to come to terms with Liu Gang and confirm Denver’s title shot with Don Jose’s approval.” Xiong, 30, has a 20-4-1 record, with 11 KOs. He won the WBC crown on a decision over Mexico’s Javier Resendiz in Kunming, China, last November. Jaro is expected to return home tomorrow with news of his talks.