As we reported earlier, a boxing evening will take place in Glendale (USA) on February 3, the main event of which will be a fight for the vacant WBO super featherweight title (up to 59 kg) between Mexicans Oscar Valdez and Emanuel Navarrete.
The day before, the fight was announced, which will become the second most important in this show: prospect of the first welterweight (up to 63.5 kg) from the USA Arnold Barbosa (27-0, 10 KOs) will meet with the ex-champion in two categories, Puerto Rican Jose Pedraza ( 29-4-1, 14 KOs).
It was assumed that in the spring of the outgoing year, it was Barbosa who would become the first rival of Teofimo Lopez in 63.5 kg. However, the fight was never organized. As a result, Arnold limited himself to one performance in 2022, outboxing the previously unbeaten Puerto Rican Danielito Zorrilla in July.
Pedraza has had two fights this year and has never been able to win, first losing on points to Jose Ramirez, and then drawing a fight against Richard Commey. On December 10, he was scheduled to meet with the above-mentioned Lopez, however, due to health problems, Pedraza was forced to withdraw from the fight.