Taduran ramps up U.S. training

World boxing champion Pedro Taduran took a big step in his training camp barely after landing in Las Vegas a several days ago.

A few days after kicking of his training, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight titleholder began the sparring phase in Sin City by working with Filipino-American featherweight Joshapat Navarro.

Taduran is in America hoping that a unification fight with Puerto Rican two-belt titlist Oscar Collazo gets finalized.

The target month for this mouthwatering matchup is in March in Collazo’s backyard in Puerto Rico.

Collazo has the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organization belts and is keen on adding the IBF strap of Taduran and the World Boxing Council crown of Melvin Jerusalem.

Sean Gibbons of Viva Promotions and MP Promotions is in talks with the camp of Collazo, who plans to become Puerto Rico’s first undisputed world champion by the end of this year before moving up to light-fly in 2027.

Taduran left Manila on New Year’s Day and stayed in the Los Angeles area before relocating to Las Vegas where his training is being supervised by former fighter Jhack Tepora.

In the event the Collazo clash becomes official, Taduran will remain in the United States for the duration of his training so he doesn’t suffer from jet lag or the problems fighters from the Philippines who cross the Pacific encounter when making the long journey.

His trainer Carl Penalosa is on standby and should be on the first plane out of Manila to the US as soon as a deal is put in place.

Last year, Taduran made the first two defenses of the IBF 105-pound title.

In May, he traveled to Osaka where he beat Japanese Ginjiro Shigeoka badly. Then in late-October, he defeated compatriot Christian Balunan on home soil.