Two-belt champion Oscar Collazo is carefully studying the landscape of the world 105-lb division that includes the two other titleholders — Filipinos Pedro Taduran and Melvin Jerusalem — fighters on the Puerto Rican’s radar screen.
After annexing the World Boxing Association (WBA) strap to his World Boxing Organization (WBO) jewels, Collazo is drooling over the prospects of taking the two other crowns on the market: Taduran’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) title and Jerusalem’s World Boxing Council crown.
“I see them and study them,” Collazo said in a story that appeared on El Nuevo Dia, Puerto Rico’s newspaper with the largest circulation.
Collazo snatched the WBA championship by knocking out Thammanoon Niyomtrong of Thailand two weeks ago in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Collazo, unbeaten in 11 fights with eight knockouts, has yet to declare who is next on his wish list but he made it clear after his annihilation of Niyomtrong that his mission is to become Puerto Rico’s first undisputed champion.
To do just that, Collazo, 27, born in New Jersey to Puerto Rican parents, has to go through Taduran or Jerusalem.
It doesn’t matter who among the two will get to face Collazo, who swears he will have his hands full once he tangles with either of the two.
“Jerusalem fought (Mexican mandatory challenger) Luis Castillo not long ago and looked pretty good and gave him a shutout (unanimous decision victory),” Collazo said of Jerusalem, who he actually beat to become the WBO champion in May last year in Indio, California.