Celestino Caballero / Photo © Ivan Montiel

View full size photo »

Promoter Lou DiBella is very eager for Celestino Caballero to replace Elio Rojas as Yuriorkis Gamboa's opponent on September 11...

Boxing Scene - Rick Reeno... "I made an offer to Arum, and it was not even close to a 50/50 deal. If my competitors knew the number [in Caballero's favor], they would say it's too low," DiBella told BoxingScene.com. "Caballero wants the fight. Gamboa would get the bulk of the money. If they turn this offer down, there is no other explanation than Gamboa being scared to take the fight."

Of course a great fight falling into our laps is too good to be true, and Caballero is not Bob Arum's first choice (and likely not his second choice either) for the HBO date. The Top Rank promoter is looking at Orlando Salido, who was originally scheduled to face Gamboa before pulling out with a cut a few weeks back.

AOL Fan House - Lem Satterfield... "We've suggested a replacement for Rojas and HBO is considering it. It's another champion, Orlando Salido," said Arum. "Salido is a really big puncher and a fellow champion and that makes for a really good fight."

According to Arum, there just isn't enough time for Gamboa to properly prepare for a fighter with Caballero's dimensions.  Maybe it won't be easy to bring in sparring partners that can replicate the difficulties Caballero poses on short notice, but given Arum's reluctance to match either Lopez or Gamboa with the Panamanian, it's hard to believe he'd be singing a different tune even with more time.  It's unfortunate, but Caballero will likely be waiting a while longer for his crack at either of Top Rank's elite featherweights.

e-mail Andrew Fruman