By Elisinio Castillo

The Latino junior middleweight champion of the World Boxing Organization (WBO), Javier "La Bestia" Maciel, is very satisfied after his convincing win over Puerto Rican puncher Jorge "Destroyer" Melendez to win the USNBC 154-pound title of the World Boxing Council (WBC), which took place last Saturday on the Cotto-Martinez undercard from Madison Square Garden in New York.



Maciel (29-3, 20 KOs), current ranked No. 15-ranked by the WBO, says he inked a promotional agreement with Top Rank, who co-promoted Saturday's card. Maciel took the fight with Melendez on two weeks notice and bounced back after losing a decision to Brian Rose last October in Sheffield, England.

"I'm very happy. I think we put on a very good fight and it was a great victory, the best of my career. Beyond the short time I had to prepare, I had been training after my last fight and had to accelerate to get everything right. But a great group and a great team, who gave me everything I needed to take the victory," Maciel said.

"That Sunday [my manager] met with Top Rank and they wanted me to do two fights with them in America. First one would be in September, and if all goes well, we would return for something big, which is what we are hoping for, in December."