By Miguel Rivera
Puerto Rican star Felix Verdejo (22-0, 15KOs) is promising a very big year for his career in 2017.
In 2016, he got in three big win with a decision over Williams Silva in February, a decision win over Jose Luis Rodriguez in April and a technical knockout win over Juan Jose Martinez in June.
Verdejo was going to return in November, as part of the Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas undercard, against WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan. That planned title fight fell apart when Verrdejo was involved in a motorcycle accident that put him out of action for the rest of the year.
Verdejo is now scheduled to return to the ring on February 3rd against Oliver Flores at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
If all goes well, he will then move forward with his mandatory shot against Flanagan.
"[2016 had it's] ups and downs. I had good fights, but I got distracted a lot with friends. I was not taking things very seriously. I fought with José Luis Rodríguez and I did not look very well. Then with William Silva in New York and I did not look good either. But I became focused again after a short meeting with Todd duBoef (chairman of Top Rank) and called me a star. After that I was regaining the glow I had lost," Verdejo told Carlos Gonzalez.
"I then had that last fight which was in the summer. I felt good, strong, and I picked things up again. I celebrated so much that I had a small fall on a motorcycle. It was a tough 2016 for me, and it's a matter of learning from those ups and downs. It's a good thing that happened now when I'm still young, because it helps me settle down to behave like a pro. They were stumbling blocks that arise along the way, and one has to know how to tear down those walls to keep walking forward."
"2016 was going to be the breakout year for my career, now it will be 2017. Puerto Rico will have a new world champion."
