Still fresh is his Saturday's knockout definition. However, practically without rest, he is already getting set for what's coming, a dangerous and first class challenge. Argentinean and World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino junior middleweight champion, former world title challenger Javier "La Bestia" Maciel, begins his training for his second performance abroad, when he faces undefeated Armenian-born American Vanes Martirosyan, in a highly world ranked junior middleweight bout, on April 6th. in an exciting fight night that Top Rank is promoting in Macao, Special Administrative Region of China, which will be televised worldwide.

 

Maciel (25-2, 18 KOs), ranked WBO junior middleweight #6, who on Saturday destroyed Colombian Emilio Julio in five rounds to defend for the fourth time his WBO belt, at the Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, will face Martirosyan (32-0-1, 20 KOs), WBO junior middleweight #1, International Boxing Federation (IBF) #6, and World Boxing Council (WBC) #11, in a duel which will leave the winner at the gates of fighting for the WBO junior middleweight world title, now held by Russian Zaurbek Baysangurov.

 

After receiving from his manager and promoter, Mario Margossian, head of Argentina Boxing Promotions, the confirmation and signing the contract, "La Bestia" expressed his satisfaction of facing such a challenge, and far from being intimidated, he made clear what he thinks about it.

 

"I'm very happy to fight Martirosyan, being part of such an important evening, and fighting again abroad. I never imagined I would go to Macao. I'm going to work in the best way for the fight. I am more mature than the first time I fought out of my country and settled in my weight division", said the 28-year-old Maciel, who after making the distance against WBO middleweight world champion Dmitry Pirog in Russia, on March 2011 went down to the 154 pounds and has made four defenses of his WBO Latino belt, besides having won the Argentine crown.

 

"The experience in Russia helped me a lot. Though I might have gone in better condition, it helped me to know what I don't have to do. Now I'm much more prepared, more experienced and in my division", said Maciel.

 

In spite of facing the #1 world ranked by the OMB, who has fought renowned boxers of the U.S. market, Maciel is not intimidated. "A new opportunity is opening for me and I am planning on taking it. I'll give my best", he anticipated.

 

When referring to his opponent, he expressed his respect but also his confidence. "I watched some fights of Martirosyan. From what I saw, he is a fighter who goes forward to attack and throws a lot of punches. I think I may have more strength than him, but he is faster than me. That's why I have to work to improve my speed, to constantly throw punches and in a bigger number of them. I still have things to improve, but I know that I can win", he considered.

 

With the confidence of fighting in the division in which he belongs and summing his sixth knockout definition in his last seven performances, "The Beast" knows this is his time. If he wants to get the world title chance that he yearns, he is aware he will have to go to the next level in order to defeat a an opponent far superior to those he has fought.

"This is what I was waiting for. I got an opportunity in my division. It comes at a great time for me. I know it's difficult, and for that I have been preparing, to fight the best. I will do everything to take it, because I want to go for a world title. But this is first. I can feel myself winning", he concluded.