By Miguel Rivera
The return to the ring of two-time world champion Jose "Sniper" Pedraza is on the agenda for May 25 in Orlando, Florida - according to the boxer's promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.
"Soon we will be making the official announcement because we are interested in it being a big fight. The plan is to have it during the Memorial Day weekend. We are working on an event that will be broadcast on ESPN," said Arum to Carlos Gonzalez.
Last December, Pedraza lost the World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight world title, by way of a unanimous decision, in his unification clash with WBA ruler Vasyl Lomachenko. However, he left a good impression with his performance and Arum immediately began to process of getting him another fight.
"Pedraza has been a professional. I feel pure admiration for him because he always gives 100% and accepted all of the challenges we are looking for. He did not have any problems with facing Reymundo Beltrán and Lomachenko. His fights have been entertaining and that's why we want to include him on the undercard in Orlando," Arum said.
Another Puerto Rican fighter that Arum is hoping rises to the occasion to provide fireworks, is Christopher "Pitufo" Diaz, who on April 20th will face Olympic silver medal winner Shakur Stevenson as part of an ESPN pay-per-view card from Madison Square Garden in New York.
"Stevenson is seen as a future world champion, but some think that putting him against Diaz is premature. Diaz will try to use his experience to give [Stevenson] a boxing lesson," said Arum.
Stevenson signed a promotional contract with Top Rank in 2017 after an outstanding career in amateur boxing. At the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, he won a silver medal.