Valledares Fights Taduran for IBF Minimum Title
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 23 Jan 2020
In a strange twist of fate, Mexican Daniel Valledares will be fighting IBF minimumweight titlist Pedro Taduran of the Philippines for his title this February 1, 2020 in Monterrey, Mexico after defeating another Filipino Christian Araneta who himself had earlier planned on going down to 105 for the chance to a world championship.
Valledares defeated Araneta via fifth round retirement last September also in Monterrey for the right to challenge IBF light flyweight titleholder Felix Alvarado of Nicaragua.
Araneta was not only competitive but was beating Valledares to the punch, bloodying his nose when he re-injured his right shoulder in the fourth prompting his corner to retire him after the fifth round. He suffered that shoulder injury in 2017 which had to be operated on and forced his lengthy layoff.
In his comeback the following year 2018 where he knocked out fellow Filipino veteran title campaigner Jerry Tomogdan, Araneta expressed his plan to go down to 105 for the chance to win a world championship.
As it turns out now, Mexico's Valledares is getting that chance against Taduran as his handlers decided that he move down to the minimumweight after the promised title fight versus Alvarado cannot be arranged in view of the Nicaraguan still recuperating from injury incurred from training.
It could be recalled that Alvarado was set to meet Ken Shiro last December in a WBC-IBF unification fight but backed out due to that injury. Shiro went on to successfully defend his title against late replacement Randy Petalcorin instead, winning by fourth round knockout.
Taduran won the IBF minimumweight title vacated by South African Deejay Kriel by fourth round stoppage of Kriel's supposed mandatory challenger Samuel Salva in an all Filipino world title scrap last August.
He was supposed to make his first title defense against a Japanese opponent in Japan late last year. But his handlers, brothers Johnny and Art Monis of Hardstone Promotion deferred the plan as they awaited Sean Gibbons of the MP Promotion who had earlier sent words that Manny Pacquiao wanted Taduran to fight under his outfit.
It would appear that no talks have been held or agreement reached between the two parties as the Monises have agreed to a Taduran title defense against Valledares who originally fights at light flyweight and in the Mexican's own hometown.
Taduran is no longer stranger to fighting abroad but in his only overseas fight, he lost by decision to Wanheng Menayothin aka Chayapoon Monsri in a failed attempt at the WBC minimumweight title in Thailand in August 2018. He currently totes a record of 14 wins, 11 by knockout against two defeats.
Valledares who hails from Monterrey boasts of a 21 wins, 13 by knockout and one loss record. He also holds victory over another Filipino, former WBO titlist Merlito Sabello whom he stopped in seven rounds a few months before meeting and defeating Araneta.
Taduran who won four of his last five fights by the short route will have the advantage of fighting at his natural weight. But Valledares will have the size and hometown advantage. It will be battle between a southpaw (Taduran) and an orthodox fighter (Valledares) who both could punch.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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