Pablo Cesar Cano is aiming to stop rising prospect Danielito Zorrilla tonight

Pablo Cesar Cano. Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

Sep

Pablo Cesar Cano is ready to prove he is more than just a steppingstone for a rising prospect.

Mexico’s Cano will take on Puerto Rico’s unbeaten upstart Danielito Zorrilla in a rescheduled 10-round junior welterweight matchup.

Both fighters made weight ahead of their TrillerVerz headliner which goes down tonight at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, in Hollywood, Florida.

“Unfortunately our fight did not happen on its original date but that didn’t stop me from training or deter me from my desire to win,” Cano told The Ring though a translator. “I stayed in shape and I feel stronger than ever.”

Cano and Zorrilla were initially set to meet on August 14, in Frisco, Texas, on the undercard of the welterweight showdown featuring Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

However Cano (33-7-1, 23 KOs), who weighed 139.7 pounds, ended up stuck in his native Mexico due to travel visa issues, which left him and Zorrilla without dance partners.

Zorrilla (15-0, 11 KOs), who is co-promoted by Promociones Miguel Cotto and Golden Boy Promotions, tipped the scales at 139.8 pounds and fights for the first time following a technical decision win over Ruslan Madiyev in Puerto Rico, last March. The bout ended prematurely when the 27-year-old took repeated shots behind the head from his Kazakh counterpart, who was deducted two points for his actions but was also lucky not to be disqualified.

The 31-year-old Cano, who has fought 214 rounds to Zorrilla’s 56, fights for the first time since a second-round stoppage of Roberto Ortiz in November 2019. Prior to that bout, he scored a massive upset when he stopped former three-division titlist Jorge Linares in the first round in January 2019.

From the looks of it, it appears Zorrilla is looking at Cano as just another fighter to assist in his development. But the former 140-pound title challenger warned the younger warrior to not get too comfortable.

“He can think whatever he wants. In the ring, it’s going to be nothing close to [a steppingstone fight]. Zorrilla will find out what kind of fighter I am in the ring.”

Cano also showed respect for his rival.

“Zorrilla is honestly very well-prepared for this fight. He is young, hungry and he is coming to win,” Cano added. “He is going to show everyone that he is ready to take on this fight and that he [has what it takes] to win.”

That said, if Zorrilla leaves himself exposed for two long, Cano plans to add a plethora of Zs to Zorrilla’s name.

“I love to fight and I’m looking forward to this fight. I’ll be looking for the knockout from the first round. If it comes, it comes. If it doesn’t, I’m prepared to go 10 rounds.”

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