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By Scott Shaffer
16/08/2005
According to La Opinion, a Spanish language publication based in California, Fernando Vargas is planning to sue the WBC for denying him the chance to compete for that organization's world title next week. Vargas' co-manager Rolando Arellano was quoted by La Opinion's August 15 edition as saying that the WBC is going to be sued by Vargas because it "violated federal law and caused Vargas to suffer monetary damages." Vargas will face Javier Castillejo this Saturday in Chicago, but Arellano says he does not want the WBC to sanction the bout as a title eliminator. Castillejo was recognized as the WBC world champion, but as soon as he signed to fight Vargas, the WBC stripped the title from him because he refused to fight Ricardo Mayorga, who had just been named the mandatory contender in the wake of a loss to Felix Trinidad in the middleweight division. Vargas protested the decision to the Association of Boxing Commissioners (ABC), saying the WBC's order to fight Mayorga was a favor to promoter Don King. The ABC agreed with Vargas, but made no effort to enforce its decision. The WBC denied that the ABC had any jurisdiction over it, and allowed Mayorga to face Michelle Piccirillo for the title that was stripped from Castillejo. Mayorga claimed the vacant title by decision victory this past Saturday, and the WBC, in an ostensible attempt to appease Vargas, declared the winner of Vargas-Castillejo could fight Mayorga next. If the lawsuit is filed, the WBC will be back in United States court just a few years after a successful lawsuit by Graciano Rocchigiani pushed the Mexico-based sanctioning body to the brink of bankruptcy with a $30 million judgment that was eventually settled for considerably less. source: laopinion.comÂ
