April 18th was the date earmarked for lightweight prospect Michel Rivera (18-0) to return to the ring. He was scheduled to fight Marcos Villasana Jr. (25-6) Saturday night as part of a Showtime tripleheader that was set to take place in Phoenix, Arizona. The card was going to be topped by WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez defending his title against Roamer Angulo.
This event, like every other boxing card scheduled for the spring, has been postponed indefinitely.
The Rivera-Marcos Villasana Jr. bout would have left the winner in prime position to challenge for a lightweight title later this year.
Even though a date isn't locked in, Rivera continues to train so that he is ready to go when he receives the call that the fight is back on.
“I’m still training and still in camp. I’m eating healthy and working to stay in great condition. I’m working the bag and doing all of my exercises,” Rivera told BoxingScene.com.
With most of the United States on lockdown, most of the country is spending almost all of their day confined to their homes and “cabin fever” has set in for many.
When asked how he has been affected by the lockdown, the Dominican laughed and said it hasn’t been a big deal for me.
“The truth is it really hasn’t affected me because I am not a person who goes out a lot. I am focused on my career and on boxing. I have the talent and am putting in the necessary sacrifices to make history,” said Rivera.
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