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Steve KimESPN
Featherweight prospect Chris Zavala (6-0, 3 KOs) has been pulled from Tuesday’s card at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas after testing positive for the coronavirus. He was scheduled to face Eddie Vazquez (7-0, 1 KO) in a six-round contest.
Zavala’s trainer, Manny Robles Jr., told ESPN that Zavala was infected by a sparring partner.
“All three of the kids that were sparring one another, we have quarantined them. Chris was the last one to test positive,” he said.
As soon as Robles learned about the test result for Zavala, he alerted Top Rank, which then pulled him from the card. Carl Moretti, vice president of boxing operations for Top Rank, said that in situations like this, the instructions are very simple: “Just take the necessary steps to get better, and we’ll reschedule you.”
Robles, who runs Knockouts Boxing gym in the Los Angeles area, said that the gym was closed temporarily and that all of his boxers were then tested.
“Whoever tested positive, just like Chris, they can’t come to the gym. They have to be quarantined for two weeks and get tested again before they can come back,” said Robles, who was tested and received a clean bill of health. Over the weekend, the facility was sprayed down and disinfected by a professional service.
”We’re just working on keeping it clean,” Robles said.