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Montiel looks to keep pace in featherweight title picture
- Updated: April 28, 2016
10:31 AM ET
Over a 20-year ring career, Fernando Montiel is one of boxing’s true warhorses and he is still in the world title hunt. Of course, that’s old hat to him because Montiel has already won world titles in three weight classes: flyweight, junior bantamweight and bantamweight.
In October, Montiel got a crack at featherweight titlist Lee Selby and while he gave it a big effort, Montiel lost a spirited unanimous decision. But he has not given up hopes that he will fight his way into another opportunity.
Fernando Montiel-Jorge Lara
Where: StubHub Center in Carson, CaliforniaWhen: SaturdayTV: FOX, 8 p.m. ET
“I felt I did very well against Selby, a very difficult boxer to fight,” Montiel said. “It was a good, competitive fight but I know that I can still do better than what I did that night in Phoenix.”
With a good performance against Mexican countryman Jorge Lara, Montiel could find himself back in a title fight quickly. They meet in the scheduled 10-round opening bout of a Premier Boxing Champions tripleheader on Saturday night (Fox, 8 ET) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
“This is a great opportunity for me to show that I still belong at the highest level of boxing,” said Montiel, whose record is littered with quality opponents. “This is a tough fight. I will be facing a young, undefeated fighter who is hungry to prove himself and I know how that feels because I was in shoes once.
“I will be ready to give the fans a great fight. This is the type of fight that I need to win, so I can get another opportunity to fight for a world championship and that’s what why I am still in boxing.”
The winners of Saturday’s featherweight bout will be the fans, according to Jorge Lara, who plans to put on a show against Fernando Montiel. Chris Farina/TGB Promotions
Lara (27-0-2, 19 KOs), 25, a southpaw, has faced pedestrian competition but he’s a dozen years younger and a whole lot fresher than Montiel, and he also covets a world title.
“My dream is to be a world champion, and to do that I have to beat fighters like Montiel,” Lara …
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