The April boxing schedule gets a jumpstart with several boxing cards on Friday, April 3, worth your time, including a top British cruiserweight from Manchester, a minimumweight title defense from California, plus the return of a Pacquiao prospect.
Manny Pacquiao Promotions Returns to California
Manny Pacquiao Promotions returns to the site of its debut U.S. card at Pechanga Casino in Temecula, California, with a nine-fight card airing on the Spanish-language ESPN Knockout show, as well as via DirecTV. The card gets underway at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
The card is headlined by IBF World Minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran (19-4-1, 13 KOs), a native of the Philippines based in Simi Valley, California. He makes his second title defense against countryman Gustavo Perez Alvarez of Ensenada, Mexico (16-1, 5 KOs). It is the first fight in the U.S. for the champion, who is confident the fight won’t go the distance.
“I am ready to prove to the world why I am the best minimumweight on the planet,” said Taduran. “I have worked extremely hard for this fight, and I am going to put on a performance that makes everyone proud. Gustavo is a strong challenger, but when we step inside that ring tomorrow night in Temecula, the IBF belt stays right here with me.”
The venue is sure to be packed with Mexican and Filipino fight fans, plus this reporter right here. Current unified minimumweight champion Oscar Collazo would love to face the winner in a unification fight. He let the fighters know he’d be watching.
Ima gonna watch it dont worry about that
Who ever wins ill be eating— Oscalito (@Oscalito6) April 2, 2026
In the co-main event, the promoter’s son, Emanuel “Jimuel” Pacquiao Jr. returns to the ring after a draw in his pro debut against a surprisingly tough Brendan Lally on the first card at Pechanga in November.
This time, the 25-year-old lightweight Pacquiao Jr. will face a fighter with a single loss on his record, 11 years his senior, Darrick Gates of Idaho Falls. Let’s see what kind of careful matchmaking is in play here.
Also on the card, middleweight Lazaro Francisco Lorenzana of San Diego (19-0, 14 KOs), hopes to gain some visibility and traction in an open division against Esneiker Correa of Venezuela (16-6-3, 14 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round fight. Correa fought to a draw against previously undefeated American Eric Priest in November. Lorenzana is coming off a decision win over Thanksgiving weekend against veteran Luis Arias. Correa has been stopped in four of his six losses, so this one could end early.
Pat Brown Coming On At Cruiserweight
American boxing fans may not know his name yet, but keep your eye on Pat Brown. The Manchester native only has five pro fights, all by knockout, but Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith has been high on Brown ever since signing him.
“We honestly believe Pat can become undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world and then do the same thing at heavyweight. Not putting too much pressure on him, I’m sure he does it himself. The journey is only just getting started,” said Brown, who believes Brown will get a title fight within a year.
“For sure. He’s such a good talent. He’s proving it every time he steps in the ring. Of course, he needs to develop in the fights with the right opponents at the right times, but he’s ready, he’s ready to go. He can be a superstar of this sport and trust me, he will be.”
Brown (5-0, 5 KOs) will face Vasil Ducar of Czechia (19-7-2, 14 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round fight on Friday at the Planet Ice Arena, a small venue in the Greater Manchester area. A regional IBF cruiserweight belt will be up for grabs. The fight card airs on DAZN Boxing starting at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.
“If you want to be the best and you want to make it to the top, the pressure comes with it,” said Brown, who considers Ducar a step up. “I want to be in good fights to see what I’m about. I understand people get excited, and they want to fast-track me.
Brown hasn’t gone past four rounds and says he doesn’t mind going more rounds Friday. “There comes a point where power can only take you so far. Everyone is going on about how I’m this wrecking ball, but I do enjoy showing the technical side of things. I don’t really feel anything until I’m walking to the ring. Something just ignites in me. The penny just drops. As soon as I let ‘em go, if I hurt them, I’m on them like a rash.”
“He’s strong, aggressive. I must be ready from the first round,” said Ducar. “Inside me, there is the spirit of a warrior. I think the deep waters can be from the first round because when both sides want to go to the deep waters, we can go there from the first round. We can start from the first seconds. We will see. Everybody can have a plan until the first punch.”
Red Owl Boxing Brings Action to Allentown on DAZN
Red Owl Boxing also offers a card from Allentown, Pennsylvania, featuring a regional lightweight title fight in the main event between undefeated Antonio Perez of Harrisburg (11-0, 5 KOs) against Abraham Montoya of Mexicali, Mexico (23-7-1, 14 KOs). The WBC USA Silver belt goes to the winner.
Montoya has a notable 2018 win over Luis Alberto Lopez, who went on to win a world title, and a 2024 decision over Joseph Diaz Jr. The card airs on DAZN Boxing starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.