Peters brings the Rocket back to earth

BOXING:IN DECLINING the challenge of Belfast's Wayne McCullough yesterday afternoon, Bernard Dunne's manager Brian Peters said the ideal first defence for the new WBA super-bantamweight champion would be against Mexico's Israel Vasquez in Las Vegas.

Peters confirmed there had been an approach from the camp of IBF champion Celestino Caballero about a possible meeting with the new champion in Dublin, while Dunne’s former trainer Freddie Roach says he has two fighters capable of challenging Dunne.

McCullough’s challenge came in an open letter to Dunne, in which the 38-year-old former WBC bantamweight champion and Olympic silver medallist, said it is the fight “fans want to see”.

Peters, however, didn’t agree, considering McCullough has not won a fight since 2004, and said the “Pocket Rocket” would need to put together a few good wins, including a win over a ranked contender, before it could be considered a viable fight.

In the early part of his professional career, Dunne sparred with Vasquez at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card club in California. The Mexican is now with Rudy Perez but has not fought since his third consecutive bout against Rafael Marquez in March last year, when he retained the title having won it back from his compatriot in August 2007.

He vacated the belt in December but is expected to make a comeback soon and an Irish-Hispanic ticket in Vegas would prove lucrative for both fighters.

“The dream fight would be a big Las Vegas showdown with Israel Vasquez. He’s currently sidelined with a few long-term injuries but is considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport,” said Peters yesterday.

“You also have guys like Caballero calling Bernard out. He says he’d be willing to come to Ireland so right now there are a lot of options to consider.”

Panamanian Caballero was beaten by Cordoba in 2004, when the young pretender took the national title from his mentor, but such a bout would present an opportunity to unify two belts.

Roach, meanwhile, remains in close contact with the Dunne camp and yesterday told The Irish Times of the possibility of someone from his stable providing an opponent in the near future.

Filipino Gerry Penalosa (36) fights Juanma Lopez for the WBO super-bantamweight title next month, while compatriot Bernabe Concepcion (21) hopes to relieve Steve Luevano of his WBO featherweight belt in May.

“I have Gerry Penalosa who fights at 122 (lbs), and guys like that, but I don’t want to fight with Bernard, he’s my friend,” joked Roach, before saying that either Filipino against Dunne would make for a good fight.

“Concepcion is fighting Luevano for the featherweight title, I’m sure they can fight for a unification if he can beat Luevano.

“Concepcion’s a big puncher, Penalosa’s a good boxer and Ben’s a good boxer and puncher himself, so yeah, they would be good match-ups. But Bernard’s a good friend and I wouldn’t want to face him if I don’t have to.”