Cuellar expects tough test in title defense against Oquendo

ByDAN RAFAEL
December 3, 2015, 7:56 PM

— -- Argentina's Jesus Cuellar won an interim featherweight title in 2013 by close decision against Claudio Marrero, and although not a full belt -- and one of several in the division -- he still considered winning it a great accomplishment on his way to what he hopes are many more.

"There is no difference to me in winning the interim belt versus the title. When I first won the interim belt I considered myself a champion," Cuellar said. "To me, I've always been a champion."

After three defenses of the interim belt -- including an impressive second-round knockout of former titlist Juan Manuel Lopez that sent the Puerto Rican star into retirement in September 2014 -- Cuellar was elevated to full titleholder. He defended the belt for the first time on June 6 and plowed through the smaller Vic Darchinyan, knocking out the former three-division titlist in the eighth round.

But defense No. 2 figures to be more of a test for Cuellar when he faces Puerto Rico's Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday night (Showtime, 9 ET, with coverage of preliminary bouts on Showtime Extreme beginning at 7 ET/PT) on the Daniel Jacobs-Peter Quillin undercard at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

"I'm coming here very prepared. I know Oquendo is a tough fighter and we are not taking him lightly. We're ready for a 12-round championship fight," Cuellar said. "We know there will be a lot of Puerto Ricans supporting him, but they won't change anything. They can't get in the ring.

"You're going to see a great fight on Saturday and you're going to see Jesus Cuellar walk out of the ring a world champion."

Oquendo, 32, is coming off a career-best victory against former titlist Jhonny Gonzalez, a big puncher from Mexico, whom he beat by majority decision on Sept. 12 on the Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto undercard.

"I come ready to fight. I didn't want to take off a lot of time after I beat Jhonny Gonzalez," Oquendo said. "The opportunity for a world title shot came and I had to take it. I know he is a very strong fighter, but we are coming to win.

"I'm happy to be here in New York with the Puerto Rican fan base behind me. I never thought I'd be fighting for a world title here in New York on the biggest stage. It's going to be a war. I like to stay there in the pocket. It's going to be blood in the ring and you can expect that on Saturday."

Oquendo has faced other quality opponents, but lost to former titleholders such as Abner Mares, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and Lopez. However, he said he is ready to get the job done against Cuellar.

"My last victory gave me a lot more energy, a lot more hunger and I know on Saturday we'll come through victorious," he said. "Cuellar is a very strong boxer who exerts lots of pressure and we're ready for that. We know of his record and the great success that he has had. He's the current champion and will be until [Saturday]."

Although the 28-year-old Cuellar (27-1, 21 KOs) said he is focused on Oquendo (26-4, 16 KOs) -- that is why he said he put in four weeks of training in Argentina followed by another seven weeks in Los Angeles -- there is no doubt that he is looking ahead to bigger and better fights in an exciting division that includes makeable fights with fellow Al Haymon-advised fighters such as featherweight titleholders Leo Santa Cruz, Lee Selby and Gary Russell Jr.

"I know that there are five great champions in this division, and I will fight any of them," said Cuellar, who followed his professional fighter father to the gym when he was 6 and has been boxing since. "After the Oquendo fight I hope to fight one more time at 126 against a big-name fighter and then I will move up to 130 pounds. I will fight anyone in the featherweight division.

"The fact that I am the only current champion from Argentina doesn't affect me. I knew that I would be a world champion since a young age and that's why I train so hard. My mindset in this camp hasn't changed at all now that I am defending my title for the first time. "