Bob Arum’s promotional company is moving swiftly to reschedule the Jose Pedraza-Mikkel LesPierre main event that was postponed Thursday morning.
Pedraza and LesPierre were supposed to meet in the headliner of ESPN’s six-fight show Thursday night at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. The Nevada State Athletic Commission scrapped the fight Thursday morning because LesPierre’s manager, Josie Taveras, tested positive for COVID-19.
According to NSAC protocols formulated with Arum’s Top Rank Inc., the promoter of the card, the fight had to be at least postponed because Taveras came in contact with LesPierre within “The Bubble” over the past several days. Brooklyn’s LesPierre (22-1-1, 10 KOs) tested negative Wednesday for COVID-19, as did Puerto Rico’s Pedraza (26-3, 13 KOs).
“We’re looking to reschedule the fight for July 14th,” Carl Moretti, Top Rank’s vice president of operations, told BoxingScene.com. “If both camps agree to that date, that’s when we’ll do the fight.”
Assuming the Pedraza-LesPierre fight is finalized for July 14, it’d be the main event of an ESPN telecast that also will feature a rescheduled women’s bout between Mikaela Mayer (12-0, 5 KOs) and Helen Joseph (17-4-2, 10 KOs).
Mayer, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, and Joseph were supposed to fight June 9 at MGM Grand Conference Center. Their 10-round junior lightweight battle was postponed June 7 because Mayer tested positive for COVID-19.
Pedraza and LesPierre are expected to take brief breaks before resuming training for a fight that is expected to take place three weeks from Tuesday night at MGM Grand Conference Center.
“I am devasted,” LesPierre said in a statement released by Top Rank on Thursday afternoon. “This was my opportunity to showcase my talent to the world, but everything happens for a reason. This is just another roadblock in my story. I apologize to Jose and his team for any inconvenience this caused. He is a great boxer, and I hope we can reschedule the fight as soon as possible.”
The 35-year-old LesPierre, a longtime employee of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, worked on the front lines in the United States’ epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, even after accepting the Pedraza bout five weeks ago (https://www.boxingscene.com/lespierre-experienced-covid-19-working-on-front-lines-nyc-hospital--149596). He has remained healthy throughout the coronavirus crisis, which is among the reasons Taveras feels awful for inadvertently causing LesPierre’s fight to be delayed for three weeks.
“I apologize for the inconvenience this caused,” said Taveras, who tested positive following Wednesday’s weigh-in. “I am not exhibiting any symptoms. I am looking forward to hopefully rescheduling this fight as soon as possible. I am devastated for Mikkel.”
ESPN’s show will move forward Thursday night with Gabriel Flores Jr. (17-0, 6 KOs) and Josec Ruiz (21-2-3, 14 KOs) in the main event. The 10-round lightweight bout between Flores, a junior lightweight prospect from Stockton, California, and Miami’s Ruiz, was supposed to be the first of six fights televised as part of a show still set to start at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
