Nery/Payano Added To Pacquiao/Thurman Undercard

Showtime has its ending bout on July 20th in Manny Pacquiao v. Keith Thurman. Now they have their opening bout.

Luis Nery will face off against Juan Carlos Payano in a bantamweight bout. The fight will take place inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A former WBC Bantamweight Champion, Nery (29-0) last fought in March, beating McJoe Arroyo. He beat Shinsuke Yamanaka back in 2017 for the WBC and The Ring Bantamweight Titles before being stripped due to a failed drug test. It was then determined he failed as a result of tainted food.

The 24-year-old faces the 35-year-old Juan Carlos Payano (21-2), a former WBA Super Bantamweight Champion. Payano is 4-2 in his last six fights, currently on a one-fight win streak. He lost to Naoya Inoue in a World Boxing Super Series quarter-final bout before rebounding against Damien Vazquez back in March.