Bedak.
Evgeny Gradovich has REPORTEDLY pulled out of his scheduled April 23 title fight against Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire citing an upcoming ten round bout on January 9 against Jesus Galicia in Valencia, Spain and his desire to first test the waters at 122 pounds after dropping down from the featherweight division.
The New Standard/boxingmirror.com learned that Hungary?s Zsolt Bedak has stepped in as a replacement for Gradovich but the fight hasn’t been finalized as yet with the possibility that Gradovich may reconsider his decision and face Donaire.
Bedak has a record of 25-1 with 8 knockouts and is coming off a ten round unanimous decision over Nick Otieno of Kenya last September 19
Bedak lost by a 10th round TKO in a battle for the WBO title against Puerto Rico?s Wilfredo Vazquez Jr who subsequently lost to Donaire by a split decision in February 2012 at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas.
Prior to the title fight, Bedak scored a 7th round knockout over Ramie Laput of the Philippines in a WBO Intercontinental title fight in Austria.
His record suggests that Bedak may be a good boxer but like Gradovich, lacks the power to trouble a fighter of the quality of Donaire who possesses a lethal left hook.
The 32 year old Bedak was a member of the Hungarian Olympic team in Athens in 2004 when he fought as a bantamweight and scored a big win over Abner Mares.
He was also WBO European super bantamweight champion from 2009 to 2014 and previously held the WBO Intercontinental title in 2009.
