Juan Manuel Lopez and Celestino Caballero Might Meet in 2010

Celestino Caballero and Shane Mosley have one thing in common: they are both begging for huge fights. However, Caballero has gone about it in a completely different way.

Instead of making concessions to make himself more “attractive”, he has chosen to insult and demean Juan Manuel López in order to coax him into giving him the fight he wants. Caballero has called López “chicken”, “effeminate”, “overrated” in hopes of getting under López’s skin.

According to the Puerto Rican daily, Primera Hora, the strategy worked. "Juanma" told the newspaper that he has set aside the date of January 23^rd, 2010 to meet Caballero in a championship fight.

“Caballero has talked a lot and people want me to respond, but there’s a moment for everything. I’m willing to fight him whenever and I will knock him out. He won’t make it past the 8^th round” said the Puerto Rican champion.

Even though López has said he will fight the Panamanian champion “whenever”, both fighters are scheduled to fight in the upcoming months, making a 2009 brawl almost impossible. Caballero will defend his two belts on August 29^th against Mexican Francisco Leal and López is scheduled to headline a card in Madison Square Garden on October 10^th against Tanzanian Rogers Mtagwa (though this has not yet been finalized).

Talks have not formally begun, but Lopez's promoters in Puerto Rico "PR Best Boxing" have already expressed interest in making the fight happen.

"We can't deny that a fight with Caballero sounds interesting and I know that in due time it will happen... It would be better in January, Caballero should be patient..." said Ivan Rivera, president of PR Best Boxing promotions, to Primera Hora.

The fight could take place in the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico. Caballero has said that he will only fight Lopez in Puerto Rico.

“I will break his mouth wherever I find him, but I want it to be in Puerto Rico, there, in front of his people so that they will finally be convinced that he’s not a champion, he’s a fake, he’s a fake as a champion, he only fights in his country and he’s protected” said Caballero in an interview with ESPNdeportes.com

If Caballero backs up all his trash talking, we could be in for a most entertaining fight. López, who is undefeated, is known as one of the most devastating up-and-coming boxing stars. Having won 24 of his 26 bouts by way of knockout, he is definitely becoming a major attraction. A unifying bout between these two champions could open 2010 with a boom.