As Chinese Dianxing Zhu looms on the horizon as mandatory challenger, reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran is still on the lookout for Oscar Collazo, the Puerto Rican pound-for-pound puncher who holds two world title belts.

“The priority is a unification fight with Collazo based on what my handlers told me,” Taduran told DAILY TRIBUNE, referring to Sean Gibbons, Cucuy and Marty Elorde.

“Everything’s going to clear up in the second half of May,” he said, noting that the result of Melvin Jerusalem’s fourth defense of the World Boxing Council strawweight crown on 16 May in South Africa will be a deciding factor.

Collazo has put Jerusalem as top priority on his short list of opponents.

If Jerusalem loses to Siyakholwa Kuse in Johannesburg this weekend, Collazo will likely turn to Taduran as a foe.

But in the event Taduran doesn’t get a call from Collazo, the Filipino southpaw will start negotiations for a defense against Zhu, who beat Ian Abne in their IBF title elimination bout over the weekend in Cebu City.

Collazo holds the World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Association straps and is on a mission to become undisputed champion. He halted Jesus Haro in his previous outing last March in Anaheim, California.

Meanwhile, Taduran, who stopped Gustavo Perez Alvarez of Mexico early last month in Temecula, California, is set to report for training at the Elorde Sports Center upon his vacation in the Queen City.

“It’s been over a month since my last fight. It is time to get in training mode,” he added.