Puerto Rico's Felix 'Diamante' Verdejo will have to be patient while waiting for everything to get back to normal, as the entire planet is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Verdejo (26-1, 16 KO) was aiming to make his second fight of 2020 between May and June. For this reason, he was in Las Vegas, training under the tutelage of Ismael Salas when the number of positive cases for the coronavirus emerged in the United States. This forced Salas to temporarily close the store and Verdejo chose to return to Puerto Rico to ensure the well-being of his family.
“It is the first time that something like this has happened to me, that I have to stop training, but this situation is also the first time for many people. It is sad, but at the same time I have learned to stay at home. You have to take care of yours," shared Verdejo to Carlos Gonzalez.
“I was in the middle of training and there was talk that for the summer it would be the next fight. The fact that all of this happened annoys me a little."
When Salas closed the gym, Verdejo remained in Las Vegas for several days. Realizing that the coronavirus situation was not going to improve soon, he decided to travel to the Island at the first available opportunity.
“I took a break because of what I heard on the news. We stayed a week at home without leaving. They did not indicate that you cannot train so we made the decision to return. I was worried about my family and it was maddening to know that at first everything was in chaos. What was said about coronavirus is that there were no solutions. My family was in Puerto Rico and I wanted to be with them because you never know what could happen. I spent several days with my team discussing what to do. We thought that in a month things could return to normal, but it did not. The cases went up and for my family I returned,” Verdejo shared.
Verdejo reported that he consulted with a doctor about the precautions he should take during the journey from Las Vegas to San Juan. In fact, he was quarantined before being tested for COVID-19, which was negative.
"The doctor told me to travel in long pants, a jacket with a hoodie, masks, ski goggles and not to touch anything. Once I got home, I took everything off to put in the washing machine, disinfected my shoes, my soles, and went straight into the bathroom. It is the same protocol that I do now for the baby (Miranda). The children touch everything and put their hands on the faces."
The boxer maintained that the restrictions detailed in the executive order signed by Governor Wanda Vázquez prevent him from doing any routines outside of his home.
“By earthly laws I cannot do the exercises that I was used to doing. If you go out, it has its consequences. To avoid problems and possibly infect someone or someone infects me. The first few days I used a bicycle,” he recalled.
“No one should have a fixed date until it is certain that the sport can be practiced. My thinking is that, if it calms down, by the end of the year I could be fighting."