JADIER HERRERA and Ricardo Nunez have officially put pen to paper, confirming their desire to become the mandatory challenger for Shakur Stevenson.
Their WBC final eliminator was rumoured to take place on the undercard of Joseph Parker vs Fabio Wardley, which was announced over the weekend, but will instead feature on a different Queensberry Promotions show later this year.
Herrera, 17-0 (15 KOs), has emerged as a promising lightweight talent in recent years, turning in a series of impressive displays under the tutelage of esteemed Liverpool trainer Joe McNally.
But now, the Cuban is gearing up for what promises to be a career-toughest test against Nunez, 26-7 (22 KOs), who, at best, remains a sturdy yet unspectacular operator at 135lbs.
In his last outing against Jon Fernandez, the 32-year-old was floored, and eventually disqualified, in a bout that saw his opponent suffer a sizable cut on his ear.
With that defeat arriving at super-lightweight, though, Nunez, whose previous stoppage losses came against Gervonta Davis and Masanori Rikiishi, has nonetheless retained his number-two WBC ranking at 135lbs.
As for Herrera, the WBC’s fourth-ranked lightweight contender has, at least up until this point, only really amassed wins against little-known opposition.
But regardless of that, the 23-year-old appears eager to accelerate his progression in the professional ranks, hoping to become the leading challenger for Stevenson’s green and gold strap.
Contrary to online speculation, however, his clash with Nunez will not take place at the O2 Arena, London, on October 25.
“That fight is signed, but will be moving to a different show,” Lee Eaton, the Head of Boxing at Queensberry, told Boxing News.
“But that fight is 100% signed – it’s for the number-one spot for Shakur Stevenson; the winner becomes his mandatory challenger – and it will take place later this year.”
