Christopher Díaz vs. Orlando Iván Cruz possible for WBO super feather title vacated by Lomachenko

This all Puerto Rico clash is being mooted for some time in the second half of 2018, per Mr. Boxing PR Magazine. The short list of names in contention also include Francisco Javier "El Bandido" Vargas Peláez - who turned in a tepid performance in beating Rod Salka into submission earlier this month - but apparently not the names Masayuki Itō of Japan, nor Evgeny Chuprakov of Russia, nor Jeremiah Nakathila of Namibia, the men rounding out the WBO top 5.

"Pitufo" Díaz captured the NABO belt at 130lbs last month with an official fourth round TKO when Dominican puncher Braulio Rodríguez suffered a hand injury, and is currently Lomachenko's mandatory contender. This past Thursday night, El Fenómeno Cruz fought to a draw with Lamont Roach, Jr. in a bid for the WBO's vacant international super featherweight title - and the late-thirties southpaw is currently unranked in theirs or anyone else's top 15.

This would be a big test for Pitufo, but one I think he could pass based on Cruz's showing against Roach and Díaz's last complete one, against Bryant "Pee-Wee" Cruz on the Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux undercard. The youngster is an inch taller but would be giving up an inch of reach against the southpaw veteran.

The winner of this would automatically be the island's second-best in the division, behind Alberto Machado. Quite possibly they would also be the current number two boricua p4p, again behind Machado.

 

I think this would be exactly the right fight for Pitufo right now and exactly the wrong one for Cruz. (although at his age this is very likely his last best chance to grab a belt, so "what the hell, why not?" from his perspective...although I agree with you that Pitufo probably ends him violently)

 

How far do you think Pitufo can go, Farmy? Think he will hot-potato the vacant belt if he wins it, or can he maybe reign for a bit?

 

Could be that Puerto Rican media was just downplaying the chances of anything but a domestic showdown or another Mexican rivalry classic. They didn't even mention the other top ranked contenders in the article, just stating that it was expected to be some permutation of Cruz, Vargas, and/or Díaz involved.

 

Who'd you pick, if so?