Mexican-Russian slugger Evgeny Gradovich will no longer fight reigning WBO Super-bantamweight world champion Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. on April 23 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
In a report from Boxingscene.com, Gradovich was quoted as saying that he will instead fight on January 9 against Jesus Galicia in Valencia, Spain. This will be his first fight as a super-bantamweight after sliding down from the featherweight division.
Donaire Jr., who won the WBO World Super-bantamweight title against Mexican Cesar Juarez in an epic 12-round showdown in Puerto Rico last December, will instead meet an equally dangerous Zsolt Bedak of Hungary.
The 32-year-old Bedak has 25 wins with a single loss and eight knockouts. His most recent fight was last September where he beat Kenyan Nick Otieno by unanimous decision. He already fought a Filipino before when he knocked out Ramie Laput in the seventh round of their WBO Intercontinental titular battle in Croatia last year.
Donaire Jr. is set to start training in the US next month and plans to cap his preparations at the famed ALA Gym.
This will be the third time the five-division world champion will fight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Last year, he made his much-awaited comeback after losing to Nicholas Walters in their WBA featherweight duel – at the historic Big Dome and beat Brazilian William Prado by second-round TKO in front of his roaring countrymen.
He first fought at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in 2009 against American Raul Martinez whom he annihilated via fourth-round TKO for the IBF and IBO world flyweight titles.
Top Rank Promotions and Cebu-based ALA Promotions International will join forces in promoting Donaire’s April 23 fight.