The WBO Promotes Salido to Full Junior Lightweight Champion

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    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????The WBO President Paco Varcacel has announced that the sanctioning body has made the decision to promote their interim junior lightweight champion Orlando Salido to “full champion” in the wake of Mikey Garcia vacating the title to move up to 140 – ten pounds over the 130lb junior lightweight limit.

    The news, reported by Boxingscene.com, is just another highlight this year for Salido in what has been a tremendous 2014 for the former featherweight champion. Salido lost his featherweight title on the scales in a fight with Vasyl Lomachenko this past March, but he still came away with the split-decision victory. He may have lost the title, but a victory over the highly touted Lomachenko was worth more in the end.

    The gritty Mexican fighter moved up in his very next fight, back on September 20th, to take on Terdsak Kokietgym. Salido won the vacant interim junior lightweight title in that fight with an 11th round KO over Kokietgym in what ended up being a fight of the year candidate. It was an amazing fight that saw Salido down three times and Kokietgym down four, including the knockout in 11.

    Salido’s manager Sean Gibbons told Boxingscene.com that Salido is “honored to be recognized as the full WBO champion,” although he also mentioned that there was some disappointment with his missed opportunity for revenge against Garcia.

    “The only thing that disappoints him is that he really wanted to fight Mikey Garcia in a rematch to settle things once and for all. But after watching Salido’s victory last month, I don’t blame Garcia one bit for moving up by ten pounds.

    “Salido is going to take the rest of the year off to relax and spend time with his family. In early 2015, we’ll sit down and discuss what’s next,” Gibbons told Boxingscene.com.