Peter Rivera, Vice-President of PRBBP, company represents Martinez (29-2-3, 17 KOs), received the response from the WBO to the protest his company had filed by the fact that Berchelt (28-1, 25 KOs) did not deserve to be the mandatory challenger because he had not faced fighters ranked by the WBO at 130 pounds.
“We get the answer to our protest and it was not in our favor. The WBO believes that Berchelt has the merits to become the mandatory challenger for Rocky, so the fight between Rocky and Berchelt must be made soon. We follow the rules and accept the WBO decision,” said Rivera.
Promociones Zanfer, company representing Berchelt, won a purse bid held last month with a total of $ 251,000 by $ 201,500 All Star Boxing offered to present the Martínez-Berchelt bout. PRBBP didn’t participate in the purse bid and formally protested it to the entity. The WBO studied the protest and after several weeks determined that Berchelt is the mandatory challenger for Martinez.
“Rocky, as always, is training and we know he will be ready for the fight,” added Rivera, who mentioned March 12 as a possible date. “Rocky has already traveled around the world to challenge and to defend the title, so wherever that is the fight we are confident in Rocky”.
