Taduran sets up Vegas camp

Pedro Taduran, the country’s lone world boxing champion, is the massive betting favorite against undefeated Spanish challenger Brandon Moreno.

Latest odds reveal that Taduran, who will be risking the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight crown for the fourth time on 7 November in the United States, is listed as -1100 ($1100 wins $100) and Moreno as +540 ($100 wins $540).

The scheduled 12-rounder takes place at the Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico with the Brooklyn-based outfit Salita Promotions staging it on DAZN.

It is easy to understand why oddsmakers have installed the Filipino southpaw as the favorite as the Bicol native has the obvious edge in experience.

Though Moreno is unbeaten in 16 fights with five knockouts, he hasn’t been brought to deep waters.

All of his fights were held in Spain, mostly in Madrid.

The IBF has classified the Taduran-Moreno showdown as a mandatory defense since the top-rated Chinese Zhu Dianxing is not available to fight because of management issues.

Taduran has a 20-4-1 win-loss-draw mark with 14 knockouts and is on a torrid six-fight winning streak.

Last April in Temecula, California, Taduran stopped Gustavo Perez Alvarez of Mexico in seven rounds in his third defense of the championship he had won in July 2024 in Japan.

Las Vegas-based dealmaker Sean Gibbons initially wanted to hold the fight in Manila but he later decided to bring it over to American soil.

To get used to the weather and local conditions, Taduran flew to the US last Wednesday to resume his training at the Knuckleheads Boxing training facility owned and operated by Gibbons.

Taduran’s chief trainer Carl Penalosa is working on the renewal of his US visa so they could reunite in time for next month’s fight.

On hand to welcome him in Las Vegas was former world champion Mark Magsayo, who also gets the services of the ever-influential Gibbons.