Boxcino 2014 lightweight tournament winner and former junior welterweight world title challenger Petr “El Zar” Petrov (35-4-2, 16 KOs) will meet former junior lightweight titlist Gamaliel “El Platano” Diaz (39-11-3, 18 KOs) in the 10-round lightweight main event on the April 3 edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights from the Omega Products Center in Corona, Calif.
Petrov, of Spain, was originally scheduled to fight Hank Lundy in January on ESPN2, but the fight was cancelled due to Lundy’s inability to make weight. Prior to that, Petrov scored an eighth-round TKO win over Fernando Carcamo to win the Boxcino 2014 lightweight tournament. Mexico’s Diaz is looking to get back to his winning ways following a third-round technical draw against Anthony Crolla.
“Gamaliel Diaz is a veteran fighter…He’s going to be there – tough guy, he’s been around the block,” Petrov’s manager-trainer Danny Zamora said. “You can never overlook a fighter, but Petr has trained so hard that it should be good for us.”
Co-Feature:
Thursday’s eight-round welterweight co-feature will pit undefeated up-and-coming welterweight Taras “Real Deal” Shelestyuk (11-0, 8 KOs) against Juan “The Beast” Rodriguez Jr. (12-1, 5 KOs). In his last fight, Shelestyuk—who currently resides in Los Angles—scored a third-round knockout win over Francisco Reza. New Jersey’s Rodriguez is coming off a fourth-round technical decision win over Greg Jackson.
