By Terence Dooley
Tooting’s Bradley “Super” Skeete (27-1, 12 KOs) will have to travel for his shot at the vacant EBU welterweight title after MGZ Promotions won the rights to stage his fight against Spain’s Kerman Lejarraga (24-0, 19 early). The fight will take place in Lejarraga’s hometown of Bilbao on March 24 and will be the 30-year-old’s first action of 2018.
Skeete was angling for a fight against Australia’s Jeff Horn in December only to see Gary Corcoran get the opportunity, an 11th round TKO loss.
The Frank Warren-promoted fighter will now instead seek to build on his current world ratings by trying to win the European belt against the 24-year-old Spanish national titlist.
The former Commonwealth holder has continued to consolidate his position in recent years. He lost to Frankie Gavin by points in 2014 only to take the British and Commonwealth titles from Sam Eggington (W12), who holds a win over Gavin, and has got himself within touching distance of a WBO shot.
Currently ranked at three by that organisation, Skeete is sitting pretty at five with the IBF and 12 with the WBC, so will hope to bring home another title as he bids to nail down a world title tilt.
More to follow.
IN OTHER NEWS: Telemundo Deportes kicks off the 2018 spring season premiere of “Boxeo Telemundo Ford,” the #1 Spanish-language boxing program in the U.S., this Friday, Feb. 23 at 11:30 p.m. ET, live from the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. The season will open with an event featuring Mexican Ricardo “Meserito” Rodríguez, 16-5 (5 KOs) and Puerto Rican Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez, 19-2-1 (12 KOs) battling for the WBO Regional Flyweight Title.
Telemundo and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app will broadcast live with commentators René Giraldo and Edgar López from the venues calling the bouts.
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