“Celestino Caballero should stop talking, he is a good fighter, two time world champion but he isn’t worth anything economically speaking,” these are the words of of the WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez.
“JuanMa” Lopez lashed out against the unified WBA and IBF champion Caballero as he questioned the quality of his rivals and his worth as a fighter.
Lopez who this weekend defends his title against the former WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa of the Philippines spoke with ESPN Radio show “A los Golpes” and stated that a unification bout with Caballero would be possible if the purse was good enough.
“He knows and his team knows that he is not at favorable economic position to fight with me. The reality of it is that when Caballero fought against Steve Molitor, the whole purse didn’t add up to what I make,to what I made against Sergio Medina” Lopez stated candidly.
“Against Gerry Penalosa I am making more.”
“HBO is interested in putting me on television against Gerry Penalosa, Israel Vasquez or Rafael Marquez, not against Celestino Caballero.
The Puerto Rican “JuanMa” continues:
“His manager knows how much I make. Celestino Caballero is a double champion but that doesn’t mean that he is the biggest economic draw in the division.”