|
The World Boxing Federation is
proud to announce that former
five-time world featherweight
champion Manuel “Mantecas”
Medina will soon start promoting
WBF-sanctioned bouts in Mexico.
The 40-years old Medina will
mainly focus on up and coming
prospects, staging regional
title fights.
For starters, he is looking to
fill the vacant spot of the
Latin light flyweight
championship and is planning a
two-fight elimination
tournament.
Medina himself fought as a
professional from 1985 to 2008.
During his long and illustrious
career, the Mexican warrior won
five featherweight
championships. He first captured
the IBF title in 1991 and
regrouped after losing it by
winning the WBC belt four years
later. Medina lost his first
title defense and came up short
in a shot at then-WBO champion
Naseem Hamed in ‘96 but made
another comeback two years later
when he once again grabbed the
IBF strap. In 2001, he became a
four-time titlelist by winning
the IBF belt for a third time
against Frank Toledo. However,
he lost the title in his first
defense, but this time by a
close decision against the
legendary Johnny Tapia. He then
went on to win his final world
title in 2003 when he defeated
reigning WBO champ Scott
Harrison.
After a loss to Malcolm Klassen
in 2008, Medina decided to hang
up the gloves for good. He
fought 84 times as a
professional, winning 67 fights
(31 by knockout) with 16 loses
and one draw. During his
championship career, he squared
off against great fighters like
Hamed, Tapia, Juan Manuel
Marquez, Tom Johnson or Kevin
Kelley amongst others.
Besides, the WBF will also start
to work with Hector Garcia’s HG
Boxing, one of Mexico’s premier
promoters. Garcia is regarded as
one of the world’s leading
female boxing supporters and
will stage his first WBF world
title fight on July 23 when Irma
Sanchez and Carlota Santos clash
for the vacant women’s flyweight
title.
Mexican legend and multiple
weight-division world champion
Erik “El Terrible” Morales has
been working with the WBF in
Mexico for quite some time
already. He is the promoter of
unbeaten Manuel Jimenez, the
current WBF minimum weight world
champion. |
