Former world champion Luis 'Pantera' Nery has predicted an early knockout of Puerto Rican contender Manny Rodriguez on November 23 in Las Vegas, and said nothing will stop him from reconquering the green and gold belt of the World Boxing Council (WBC) in 2020, and hoping to secure a mega-bout with Japan's Naoya Inoue.
Nery and Rodriguez will clash at the MGM Grand Garden Arena as part of the undercard to the rematch between WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and challenger Luis Ortiz.
"Manny is a good fighter, but a little slow style, I'm going to impose myself with my style, with a lot of pressure we are going to impose ourselves, we will overcome him without a problem, in three or four rounds. When I get a hold of him (it will end)," Nery told ESPN Deportes.
If Nery beats Rodriguez, then he would go forward with a fight against Frenchman Nordine Oubaali for the bantamweight title of the WBC, and then he hopes to go against Inoue.
"Winning this fight we will go for it, I will recover my title, I view Manny being more difficult than Oubaali... he is not a complete fighter," said Nery.
Nery is learning new things after he began training with Hall of Fame coach Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California.
The Mexican boxer is very pleased with the results.
"The sparrings have been strong, hard, it's more discipline and you have to do the schedules, it's tough, but in the end I liked it, I like the gym, everything , being here, I feel that it is calmer, I concentrate more, the places to run are better," Nery finished.
