Former two-division world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza is already back in the swing of things.
The boxer from Cidreño will take the stage on May 9 when he faces former US Olympian Javier "El Intocable" Molina as the co-featured attraction to the card that will have WBO, WBC junior welterweight world champion José Ramírez defending the belt against Viktor "The Iceman" Postol.
Top Rank will be staging that event at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The match between Pedraza and Molina will be televised on ESPN.
Pedraza (26-3, 13KO's) and Molina (22-2, 9KO's) will face each other in a 10-round contest scheduled for 140 pounds.
"This fight will be crucial to my career. This is an important fight and I will use everything in my power to return to the winning route against a world-class opponent,” said Pedraza to Jorge Ayala.
The two-time world champion will return after suffering the third loss of his career against José Zepeda. That was his first commitment in the super lightweight division.
“I know Molina very well. I saw him fight while we were at the 2008 Olympics in China. He has had a couple of big wins and is looking for a 140-pound world title shot. I'm also looking for a world title at super lightweight, and that makes this fight very interesting," stressed Pedraza.
“I am working hard because I know that to get a world title shot, I cannot have another loss on my record. I will get a great victory against Javier Molina and after that, the Sniper will aim for a world title at 140 pounds."
Pedraza was the super featherweight world champion of the International Boxing Federation (IBF). After that he was crowned in the lightweight world champion under the World Boxing Organization (WBO).