Magdaleno Hopes To Get a Title Shot By The End of 2012

By Ryan Burton
 
Undefeated super featherweight contender Diego Magdaleno (21-0) makes his second ShoBox appearance tonight at the Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona.  The 25 year old Las Vegan will face Fernando Beltran after his first two opponents fell out for various reasons.
 
Magdaleno recently spoke to BoxingScene.com and said that he feels that he will be ready for a title shot by the end of the year.  "I think this is the year," Magdaleno revealed.  "I think that by the end of the year that I will get my shot."
 
Diego and his younger brother Jessie are both promoted by Top Rank and are managed by Pat and Dawn Barry who own Barry's Boxing Center in Las Vegas, NV. The Magdaleno's are trained by Pat, a former boxer and former title challenger Augie Sanchez.  While Diego feels that he is on the cusp of getting a title shot, he said that he trusts his team and knows they will make the right decisions with his career.
 
"Of course I want a title shot but I leave that up to my team.  I know that my promoter and team will do what is right for me," stated Magdaleno.
 
Magdaleno has fought on the eve of Manny Pacquiao's last two fights (against Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez) on cards designed to maximize the exposure that is available in Las Vegas before a PacMan fight. The Strip swarms with fight fans and media alike any time the Filipino icon laces up the gloves in Sin City.  I asked Barry if he had heard anything about Magdaleno continuing the tradition and possibly fighting on the eve of Pacquiao's upcoming fight versus Tim Bradley that takes place on June 9th.  While Barry said that they would certainly be intertested in that scenarnio, he also shared with BoxingScene another idea. 

"Of course we would like to fight before he (Pacquiao) fights," stated Barry.  "Why not have Diego fight for a title on the (ppv) undercard of the Pacquiao fight?  Wouldn't that be something?" Concluded Barry.
 
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