By Jake Donovan
It remains to be seen what tricks he has up his proverbial sleeve, but Felix Verdejo is fit and ready to treat his fans to a Halloween ring return.
The unbeaten lightweight contender has fully recovered from hand surgery, and is all set for an October 31 fight date versus Brazil’s Josenilson dos Santos. The bout will take place in heavily Puerto Rican-populated Kissimmee, Florida, with UniMas to televise.
Verdejo (18-0, 13KOs) is coming off of a highly successful HBO debut, twice dropping Ivan Najera en route to a landslide 10-round decision in a battle of unbeaten lightweights this past June at Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York City. The bout came on the eve of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, with Verdejo on hand to celebrate.
Not quite as festive was his time on the sidelines, forced to undergo surgery to an injured left hand. The recovery process was relatively quick, but his team kept his status under wraps until absolutely positive he was ready to go later this month.
The answer came in the form of a spirited open workout held Monday afternoon. A packed house was on hand at the Kissimmee Boxing Gym, with Verdejo – dressed in Superman-embroiled apparel while putting in ring work to the tune of a variety of songs, including several from the “Rocky” franchise as well as plenty of island classics.
His showdown with dos Santos (27-3, 17KOs) marks the fourth appearance in Florida for the 22-year old Boricua, who represented Puerto Rico in the 2012 London Olympics.
All but two of Verdejo’s 18 pro bouts to date (17 out of 19 come October 31) have taken place either in Puerto Rico or regions that boast a healthy population of Puerto Ricans living in the United States. His Florida debut came in Oct. ’13, appearing on the undercard of fellow islander Miguel Cotto, who was also fighting in the Sunshine State for the first time in his incredible career, coinciding with his relocating to Orlando.
Verdejo has since developed as a massive draw in Florida. His last in-state appearance came a year ago, drawing a standing-room only crowd that threatened fire marshal codes.
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com.
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Facebook Page: JakeBScene
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