By Felipe Leon
Photo: Team DeMarco
Lightweight Antonio DeMarco (24-2-1, 18KOs) is not over confident despite him being the favorite over Reyes Sanchez (20-3-1, 11KOs) for their WBC Silver championship fight slated for February 26th in Grand Island, Nebraska. The bout will be promoted by Gary Shaw Promotions and broadcast by SHOWTIME.
The southpaw DeMarco from Tijuana, MX, by way of boxing hotbed Los Mochis, described Mexico City’s Sanchez as a deceiving fighter who is much better than many people tend to believe, “People have said that I am the favorite but I am not over confident. He is a dangerous fighter, he applies a lot of pressure and since my loss to Valero, and I learned that I shouldn’t be over confident. I am training as if I would be fighting Manny Pacquiao.”
DeMarco fell short in February of last year when he challenged the late Edwin Valero for the full fledged green and gold belt when the 24-year-old father of one held the then called interim title. Valero won the championship contest which would be his last by a ninth round TKO.
If DeMarco would to defeat Reyes for the Silver title in which the Mexico City native captured last year by beating Daniel Estrada, he would once again become the #1 challenger for the WBC lightweight title which is held by Humberto “Zorrita” Soto. Soto who is trained by the same team as DeMarco would have to leave the title vacant so that DeMarco could fight for it.
“I am focused first on Reyes and then we will see what happens,” the confident DeMarco said. “Humberto and I are represented by different promoters so it is up to them to say what happens.”
Soto is scheduled to defend the title once again versus Urbano Antillon on the undercard Pacquiao-Mosley in a go again of one of the best fights of last year.
DeMarco did admit that the thought of challenging for the title of another organization besides the WBC has crossed his mind but he stated that he stays with the Council out of gratitude, “I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it but the WBC always has treated me well and I will wait for an opportunity.”
