By Ryan Burton

Earlier today BoxingScene.com reported that lightweight contender Ray Beltran had declined an opportunity to face former lightweight champion Juan Diaz in a bout that would have been televised on HBO as the chief support to the Terence Crawford-Yuriorkis Gamboa main event.

Two days ago Diaz advised BoxingScene.com that he had agreed to the fight and a deal appeared to be imminent until earlier today when Diaz revealed that Beltran had decided not to accept the fight.  Multiple sources had advised BoxingScene.com that Beltran felt 7 weeks wasn't enough time to properly prepare for the fight and a couple of hours ago his manager Steven Feder stated that Beltran no longer wanted his services.  Beltran is now working with another manager who apparently wants to take his career in a different direction.

Yesterday promoter Gary Shaw reached out to BoxingScene.com and said that his fighter, Rustam Nugaev, would love to face either fighter and felt that his fighter would put on as good or a better performance than Diaz or Beltran.

After hearing that Beltran had declined the fight, Shaw wanted to reiterate that his fighter would be available to face Diaz on June 28th.

"Rustam would love to face Diaz.  He has a great respect for the former champion and he doesn't have a problem being ready on June 28th," Shaw told BoxingScene.com.

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