Chris John-Daud Yordan on April 17 Could Lead to Yuriorkis Gamboa

Indonesian WBA featherweight (126 pounds) Super Champion in recess, Chris John (pictured at right, on the left), will try to remain the sport's longest-reigning belt-holder when he takes on countryman, Daud Yordan on Sunday, April 17, at the Jakarta Trade Expo, in Jakarta, Indonesia, according to a report on BoxingScene.com.

Golden Boy Promotions handles the American affairs of the 31-year-old John (44-0-2, 22 knockouts), who will pursue his 14th title defense against the 23-year-old Yordan (27-1, 21 KOs) and is coming off of December's unanimous decision rout of Fernando David Saucedo during which John lost only two of the 36 rounds over the cards of the three judges.

John won, 120- 108, on one judges' card, and, 119-109, on those of the other two against Saucedo (38-5-3, one KO), of Argentina, before John's partisan fans at the Indoor Tennis Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia.

John earned the vacant crown with a September, 2003, split-decision over Oscar Leon, and his title reign includes a March, 2006 unanimous decision over current WBO and WBA lightweight (135 pounds) titlist Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 38 KOs) for his fifth defense.

During his tenure as champion, John also has a September, 2009, unanimous decision win over Rocky Juarez in his 12th defense that was a rematch of their draw in February of 2009.

Yordan has scored two straight knockouts since falling by unanimous decision in April to former WBA super bantamweight (122 pounds) king, Celestino Caballero (34-3, 23 KOs) of Panama City, Panama, in an HBO televised bout.

In December, Sampson Lewkowicz, the adviser to John and Yordan, collaborated with Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum, on a potential fall, 2011 clash between John and WBA super champion and Cuban-born, former Olympic gold medalist, Yuriorkis Gamboa (19-0, 15 KOs), of Miami, who is also the IBF titlist.

Lewkowicz and Arum, who handles the 29-year-old Gamboa (pictured above, at right), agreed on the notion that each of the fighters take an interim bout before meeting in a more lucrative fight in the fall.

Originally, Arum and Lewkowicz had targeted an HBO televised early March showdown between the two gifted fighters.

Gamboa is coming off of September's unanimous decision victory over Orlando Salido (34-10-2, 22 KOs) that earned him the IBF crown.

On March 26, Gamboa will take an HBO televised bout against WBA interim super featherweight (130 pounds) titlist Jorge Solis (40-2-2, 29 KOs) of Mexico with Gamboa's titles being on the line.

The belief is that the interim fights for both John and Gamboa would bring more value to their clash, and, as a result, more money to the table for their fall match up.

The venue, Indonesia, or, an American site, will be decided based on where the sides can best maximize the revenue for the participants.

"Sampson came to see me and he said, 'Look, the WBA organization is mandating that they fight right away. But I would prefer to give John another fight, because it's a very lucrative fight to make between him and Gamboa to Indonesia,'" said Arum.

"And I said, 'Sampson, that's fine with me. I'll give Gamboa a fight, which is the March 26 fight, and then, after those fights, let's do the big fight.' And he said, 'fine,' and we shook on it, and that's that," said Arum. "That's what happened, and that's what we intend to do. So Gamboa's next fight would be against Chris John if they both win their prior fights, and that would be in the fall."

The winner of John-Gamboa could eventually face southpaw WBO counterpart Juan Manuel Lopez (29-0, 26 knockouts) of Puerto Rico, who is coming off November's ninth-round knockout over 35-year-old ex-world champion Rafael Marquez (39-6, 35 KOs). Lopez, like Gamboa, is promoted by Top Rank.