By Jim Dower: Former IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (32-3-1, 28 KO’s) reportedly will be returning to the ring in May, and hopes to fight for the vacant World Boxing Council junior middleweight title that was recently vacated by Manny Pacquiao. One of the contenders for the vacant WBC title will tentatively be #1 ranked WBC contender Saul Alvarez. The WBC board will vote for the other challenger. However, Cintron, who’s ranked only #9 by the WBC, is likely not going to be the one that gets the opportunity.

Cintron hasn’t helped himself by being inactive since diving out of the ring in the 4th round last year in May 2010 against Paul Williams. Cintron, 31, hurt his shoulder during the fall and the fight was subsequently ruled a 4th round technical decision win for Williams rather than a no-contest. Whatever the case, it wasn’t a great performance from Cintron and he needs to start looking good again.

Cintron looked good in beating Alfredo Angulo by a 12 round decision in 2009, and then followed that win up with a 5th round stoppage of Juliano Ramos in October 2009. But then the Williams fight came and that was a bad fight for Cintron. Ideally, he should have got back in the ring and fought at least twice since then instead of sitting out for such a long time. Cintron dodged a bullet in February 2009, when he was able to talk his way out of a knockout loss to Sergio Martinez after getting dropped by a left hand, saying he was knocked down by a head butt.

As it turns out, Cintron wasn’t hit with the head of Martinez and was actually dropped by a left. Cintron should have lost that fight first by a knockout and second at least by a decision. He got lucky to get the draw but it didn’t win Cintron many fans.

I would favor Alvarez over Cintron if they were to get matched up. Cintron does have the ability to hit and run, as he showed in the Angulo fight, but I don’t think he would do well against Alvarez. He hits harder than Angulo and I can see him getting the better of Cintron in their exchanges. Cintron needs to move down in weight to welterweight and start trying to put pressure on WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, because that’s someone I think he could beat.