Stephen Smith is delighted that there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel. The Liverpool super featherweight has been training for a shot at the IBF title since October last year but has yet to receive a definitive date for his showdown with José Pedraza.
The promotional rights to a super featherweight title fight between Jose Pedraza and Stephen Smith landed exactly where they began - in Lou DiBella's control. The New York City-based promoter put up $150,000 as the lone bidder at Thursday's hearing at International Boxing Federation (IBF) headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey.
Stephen Smith is getting fed up of the lack of news about his world title fight. The Liverpool super featherweight has been training for a shot at the IBF title since October last year but has yet to receive a definitive date for his showdown with José Pedraza. That could change for the better in the coming weeks. Eddie Hearn, Smith's promoter has revealed that purse bids have been called for the fight a second time after “they [Lou DiBella and Pedraza’s team] couldn’t [or] haven’t confirmed [a] date.”
Stephen Smith could be forced to wait a little longer before his date with destiny. The Liverpool super featherweight, 30, is set to take on Jose Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) for the IBF super featherweight world title.
As BoxingScene.com first reported on Tuesday, the junior lightweight champion of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Jose Pedraza, will make his mandatory defense against Stephen Smith on the 26th of March in New York.
A deal has been struck for Jose Pedraza (21-0, 12KOs) of Puerto Rico to make a mandatory defense of his IBF lightweight championship against Stephen Smith (23-1, 13KOs) of the UK. According to the International Boxing Federation, the fight is going to take place on March 26th in New York. A purse bid had been scheduled for earlier today, but canceled after both sides advised the sanctioning body of their agreement.