Banke’s First Title Defense Will Be July 14 in Seoul

Paul Banke of Quail Valley, the new World Boxing Council super-bantamweight champion, must defend his title July 14 in Seoul, it was determined Tuesday.

Banke (19-4) won the championship at the Forum Monday in dramatic fashion, stopping Daniel Zaragoza in the ninth round while behind on points. He inherited Zaragoza’s mandatory WBC defense against top-ranked Lee Seung-hoon.

Forum matchmaker Tony Curtis tried unsuccessfully Tuesday to get the Banke-Lee fight for the Forum.

“We talked with the South Korean promoter about it, but he told us he’s already committed to TV for July 14 in Seoul,” Curtis said.

Banke, one-time amateur standout from Azusa, earned $15,000 by beating Zaragoza. He will make at least $50,000 against Lee

Also Tuesday, there was talk of a Banke-Jorge Paez fight for NBC. Paez, the International Boxing Federation featherweight champion, is, like Banke, a free swinging puncher.