The Las Vegas experience is not a new one for Puerto Rican boxer José "Sniper" Pedraza . However, yesterday's arrival was very different from the previous occasions.
Pedraza arrived yesterday, Sunday, at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas, which serves as "bubble" for promoter Top Rank, for the Thursday card that will be broadcast on ESPN.
That night, Pedraza (26-3, 13 KO) will face Trinidadian Mikkel LesPierre in a non-title match at 140 pounds.
The process of entering the designated bubble, contrary to what one might think, was a simple one for the former Puerto Rican champion.
"At the airport (in Las Vegas) it was as if nothing had happened," Pedraza said to El Nuevo Día .
“When we got to the hotel, we didn't have to go through the usual protocol of arriving in the lobby and checking in. Nothing like that. They put us in another area, took us directly to the floor where the boxers are, and gave us the key to the room. In half an hour, they did the tests (for COVID-19)."
Top Rank held their first card last Tuesday since sports action was stopped in the US in mid-March by the coronavirus pandemic.
Boxers are only allowed to leave the rooms to train and eat. Hotel exits and loitering around facilities are prohibited. For Pedraza, that will not be a very noticeable change in his routines.
“It is not a drastic change. This is what I always do. In every fight, I lock myself in the room. Occasionally, I would walk around the casino area. If I have to go out, it's to eat something. But, I do that and I quickly turn to the room," Pedraza said.
Pedraza took a day off to rest yesterday, Sunday, and was scheduled to train Monday afternoon to continue his approach to 140 pounds.
