IBF champ treats self before big bout

Pedro Taduran spent his day-off wisely by attending Sunday church and treating himself to a sumptuous dinner afterwards.

Less than two weeks before he defends the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight title, Taduran was cool, calm and collected.

“Time to relax a bit,” said Taduran, who battles Mexican Gustavo Perez on 3 April at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

It’s been more than six weeks since Taduran arrived in the United States in hot pursuit of a unification fight opposite Puerto Rican two-belt holder Oscar Collazo.

Instead, Taduran is settling for Perez as Collazo is carefully mapping out his plans at the moment.

With Taduran already in town, Sean Gibbons, the do-it-all American fight figure, put a title fight in place that is intended to catapult the Filipino southpaw to a Collazo showdown.

On this balmy night in Las Vegas, Taduran and lead trainer Carl Peñalosa took time off from their hectic training schedule by bonding even more.

The day was capped by a trip to Red Lobster where the Bicol-born slugger had a serving of the mouthwatering crusty crustacean delight.

Not that Taduran and Peñalosa are not concerned about the weight.

“Of course we are,” Peñalosa, who comes from the fabled fighting family of fighters that produced a pair of two-division world champions in Dodie Boy and Gerry.

In fact, Taduran is no longer eating rice, the starchy staple boxers normally stay away from in the final weeks leading up to a fight.

“By next week, my weight should be just three pounds over (the division limit of 105 pounds),” said the 29-year-old champion.

“That way, it will be easier and not as hard to go down to 105,” he said, noting how he had to get rid of a bit of extra baggage in his last two defenses.

Taduran better be true to his word because Gibbons swears Perez is no slouch

“He’s a terrific fighter,” Gibbons said.