Verdejo Staying Busy, Eyes Two More 2013 Ring Returns

By Ryan Burton

In his most recent fight, blue chip Puerto Rican prospect Felix Verdejo (8-0) blew out Gary Eyer (11-4) in two rounds.  The fight took place on October 5th on the Miguel Cotto-Delvin Rodriguez undercard in Orlando, Florida.  Verdejo said that he was happy to have gotten the opportunity to fight on a Cotto undercard in front of thousands of his countrymen.

"I am very grateful to have had the opportunity.  I am also grateful to have had the opportunity to have fought in Orlando.  A lot of fans came out to see Miguel Cotto but they also came to see me which I am thankful for," Verdejo stated.

Verdejo's promoter Top Rank has big plans for the 20-year-old 2012 Olympian.  Instead of feeling pressure, Verdejo said that all of the attention actually motivates him to train harder and that he is enjoying the backing that he has received from all of his fans.

"I think that Top Rank is looking at me as the next star from Puerto Rico.  That motivates me to train even harder.  I am happy for the support and great vibes the fans have given me," explained Verdejo.

The plan is for Verdejo to open up the November 23rd Manny Pacquiao versus Brandon Rios HBO pay-per-view telecast.  If he emerges from that fight unscathed, he will then return on December 14th in Caguas, Puerto Rico which will cap a busy 2013 for the San Juan native.  If everything goes according to plan, Verdejo will have fought nine times in 2013.  He said that he has enjoyed the busy schedule and that it has helped him stay sharp.

"I love having an active schedule.  It keeps me in the ring and keeps me sharp.  I take a week or two off after a fight then I get back to training.  I think it is very important to be active especially this early in my career," Verdejo told BoxingScene.com.

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