Road to undisputed

Negotiations are under way for an all-southpaw three-belt world title showdown starring Puerto Rican Oscar Collazo and Filipino Pedro Taduran.

The working date for the World Boxing Organization, World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation mininumweight championship match is 13 February.

Representing Taduran in the talks for the Collazo unification match is American dealmaker Sean Gibbons, who has the full trust and confidence of the fighter’s managers, the Elorde siblings Marty and Cucuy.

Signs that both sides are talking business are Collazo and Taduran in training mode.

After stopping Jayson Vayson — his fourth Filipino victim — last September, Collazo publicly declared that unifying all the straps in the 105-pound class is his main priority in 2026.

The World Boxing Council crown is held by Melvin Jerusalem, who is currently attending the boxing body’s convention in Bangkok.

Jerusalem has expressed his reluctance to return to the ring in February, saying he needs more time to get ready for a Collazo rematch.

“If the fight is in March, I can do it, but me and my team have already discussed this and we can’t fight in February,” he said.

Taduran will be back at the Elorde Sports Center in Paranaque this weekend but is somehow in good shape since he does morning roadwork in his home in Laguna.

Collazo packs a 13-0-0 win-loss-draw record with 10 knockouts while Taduran totes a 19-4-1 slate with 13 knockouts.

After becoming a world champion in May 2023 when he beat Jerusalem in Indio, California, Collazo repulsed the challenge of various rivals, leaving him determined to become Puerto Rico’s first undisputed world champion.

Collazo, also recognized by The Ring as its champion, is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, the promotional outfit based in Los Angeles.