Jones’ Contender Ranking on Line in Pond Main Event

San Diego junior middleweight Rodney Jones will risk his No. 1 contende r ranking in the World Boxing Organization tonight against Jaime Lerma of Honolulu in the 10-round main event at the Arrowhead Pond. Jones, 30, has won his last 16 fights, 11 by knockout, but a loss to Lerma (25-7, 18 knockouts) would probably ruin his chance to fight for the WBO title.

So why bother fighting Lerma, a 26 year-old with a powerful right hand?

“I don’t think it’s going to be a risk,” said Rudy Elias, Jones’ trainer and manager. “[Lerma] is not a slouch. But if Rodney’s going to be a world champion, he’s got to beat guys like Lerma, otherwise he doesn’t deserve it.

“We just have to concentrate on Jaime Lerma, beat him impressively and show the world that Rodney should be the No. 1 contender in all the organizations.”

Elias said he’s also not interested in treating the public to a farce.

“It’s not fair for a national television fight to be against an inferior opponent,” he said. “These people are paying for a real fight, not like that thing Roy Jones was in last week.”

Should Rodney Jones (22-2, 13 knockouts), a lanky left-hander, defeat Lerma, he would probably fight for the WBO title in the spring against champion Harry Simon. But he is also hopeful a fight could be made with Yory Boy Campos, the International Boxing Federation champion or Keith Mullings, the World Boxing Council champion.

Since Jones didn’t start boxing until he was 19, Elias believes Jones is just beginning to find himself in the ring.

“He hasn’t reached his potential,” Elias said. “When he wins a world title, you’re going to see the best of Rodney.”

In the co-main event, junior featherweight Agapito Sanchez (25-7-1, 15 knockouts) of Brooklyn, N.Y. meets Jorge Munoz (19-8-1, 13 knockouts) of Mexico in a 10-rounder.

The undercard begins at 7:15 p.m., the co-main event at 8 and the main event at 9.