Reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran saw his clone Saturday night in Cebu City.
The guy Taduran was referring to was Chinese fighter Zhu Dianxing, who soundly beat Filipino Ian Abne in their IBF title elimination match.
“He kept on moving forward, always throwing punches, excellent stamina,” said Taduran, who was a special guest of promoter Chao Sy at ringside.
“He didn’t seem to tire and that proved problematic for Abne because Zhu was active and busy,” Taduran said.
The victory positioned Zhu as Taduran’s mandatory challenger and a showdown between the two could take place sometime in August or September.
But that matchup could take a backseat if a proposed unification fight involving Taduran and Puerto Rican Oscar Collazo gets done.
The handlers of Taduran are angling for a three-belt bout with Collazo, who is aiming to become an undisputed champion in the 105-pound ranks.
Taduran is fresh from stopping Mexican Gustavo Perez Alvarez in Temecula, California, in the fourth defense of the title he had won from Ginjiro Shigeoka of Japan in 2023.