The WBO have announced that purse bids for the Joan Guzman-Alex Arthur super-featherweight title contest will be held at their Puerto Rico headquarters next Thursday.

Francisco Valcarcel, the WBO president, will oversee the process and confirmed that bidding will start at a minimum of $150,000.

Guzman, the champion from the Dominican Republic, has been ordered to make a mandatory defence of his crown within 180 days of Arthur's win over Steve Foster in mid-December, or relin-quish the title. That fight was Edinburgh-based Arthur's first defence of the interim title he won against Koba Gogoladze in Cardiff last July.

Frank Warren, the Sports Network promoter, is keen to win the bid for the right to stage the bout in Scotland, probably towards the end of March, to enhance Arthur's prospects of becoming Scot-land's latest world champion.

Arthur claimed earlier this week that the fight will almost certainly take place in Glasgow due to the lack of a suitable venue in the capital, if Warren is successful.

Warren was quick to dis-miss Arthur's claim, insisting that no decision has been taken ahead of the purse bids.

Arthur also expressed concern that Guzman, who is undefeated, may be a step too far for him. "Guzman is the first and only opponent who has made me think beforehand that there is a chance he might beat me," he said.

The purse will be split 50/50, according to Warren.