Pedraza is due to face mandatory challenger Stephen Smith and had originally avoided a first purse bid by agreeing a date of March 26 in January for the contest. Problems securing a venue had seen that date pushed back to April, although the International Boxing Federation have now decided to set a new deadline for the clash to be arranged.
“The IBF have called for a purse bid in the matter of Jose Pedraza v Stephen Smith. The purse bid is scheduled for March 3, 2015,” Tucker told World Boxing News on Tuesday.
This latest development leaves the door open for Liverpool-born Smith’s promoter Eddie Hearn to launch his own case to stage the fight in the United Kingdom and give his fighter the comforts of home soil.
Pedraza has been splitting his career between the United States and his own turf in Puerto Rico, via a solitary trip to Canada, but the 26 year-old could now be adding a fourth country to his passport should Hearn get his way.
Smith, 30, earned his spot as the number one contender with a stylish win over Devis Boschiero in September and told WBN in a previous interview that he has no problem travelling to face the champion.
