According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, hot shot Lightweight prospect Felix Verdejo will return to the ring on October 31 in Orlando, Florida.
Verdejo had surgery on his left hand.
“Thanks to God my hand is feeling better each day that passes,” Verdejo told ESPN.com. “I know that on Oct. 31 it will be better than ever. I want to get back in the ring so I can keep bringing happiness to my people.”
The 22-year-old Verdejo (18-0, 13 KOs) will headline Top Rank’s UniMas-televised “Solo Boxeo Tecate” card in a scheduled 10-round fight against Josenilson Dos Santos (25-3, 15 KOs), 30, of Brazil, at the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, an Orlando suburb, where Verdejo has a large Puerto Rican fan base.
“I’m very happy to return to the same place where fans have treated me so well before,” Verdejo said. “I want Florida to be one of the main [places] where I fight, along with Puerto Rico and New York. I want to give them all that love back with a big win on Oct. 31.”
Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said Verdejo followed Shin’s rigorous rehabilitation program and was cleared to begin using the hand and pronounced ready to go for Oct. 31.
“He’s been in therapy for the hand since the operation in June,” Moretti said. “We’ve been sending updates to Dr. Shin, and Verdejo started hitting the bag last week. If he was able to get through it without pain, the doctor said he’d be OK to fight in October. We’re ecstatic that everything went according to Dr. Shin’s timetable and that he can fight in late October if he had no pain. He had no pain.”
“He realizes that in order to get back in the ring he had to go through this plethora of physical tests and demanding rehab, and to his credit he didn’t miss any scheduled appointments or treatments,” Moretti said. “It’s a reflection on him being such a professional, and now he can back in the ring and do what he does best.”
