When Felix Verdejo steps into the ring October 31st he could likely be making his 2015 finale. Although there are plans for the Puerto Rican to make another appearance before the year is out, Verdejo’s last outing could be Josenilson Dos Santos when the two meet on Top Rank’s UniMas “Sole Boxeo Tecate” card. The scheduled 10rounder will headline a card at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.
Verdejo was given the go to resume training after having surgery on his left hand in June stemming from an injury he suffered in his last outing against Ivan Najera on June 13th. Verdejo defeated Najera by unanimous decision through 10 rounds on an HBO televised card, although he knocked Najera down in the 5th and 7th. Verdejo admitted to having issues with his hand heading into the fight.
Top Rank hopes to get Verdejo his 4th fight on the year – Dos Santos would be his 3rd outing in 2015 – if all goes well on October 31. But there are rumors that Top Rank is hoping to match Verdejo strong in early 2016 with the hopes of securing a major promotion for the Puerto Rican draw sometime around the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York. There is no word on the opponents, but reports suggest that Top Rank is planning to land Verdejo his first HBO headliner, which means that the opponent would have to be a strong and interesting matchup.
The likelihood of Verdejo landing a significant opponent after October 31st and before the year ends is doubtful. So even though Top Rank is planning on getting Verdejo another fight after Oct 31, it will probably make more sense for them to wait out the year in an effort to secure him the kind of meaningful option that would warrant an appearance on HBO as a co-feature/TV opener.
