Ivan Redkach vs Luis Cruz set for April 19 FS1 card

Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 has a main event set for Tuesday, April 19, as once-beaten lightweight prospect Ivan Redkach looks to make it two straight wins when he faces Luis Cruz in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Redkach (19-1, 15 KO) looked like an emerging contender in the 135-pound ranks before his fight with Dejan Zlaticanin last year, where he was stopped in the fourth round. But Zlaticanin, too, is a legit contender, and Redkach didn't go into a funk from that loss, either, returning four months later to knock out Erick Daniel Martinez in the third round.

The 28-year-old Ukrainian southpaw is looking to make a statement with this fight.

"I am really looking forward to headlining this event on April 19," said Redkach via press release. "I know that I have a strong opponent but I know I'm determined to impress the fans and show that I am ready to challenge the elite in my division."

Cruz (22-4, 16 KO) is a 30-year-old Puerto Rican who is a mere 3-3 in his last six fights, dating back to 2011. Most of those losses have come to solid opponents, but one in 2014 came against a fighter who entered with a record of 7-13-3. At one point, Cruz also looked like a possible contender in the division, beating veterans Martin Honorio and Antonio Davis in 2011, before his first loss to Juan Carlos Burgos. So he's definitely "the opponent" in this matchup.

Middleweights will also be in action in a pair of other TV fights, both set for eight rounds. Immanuwel Aleem (15-0, 9 KO) will face Jonathan Cepeda (17-1, 15 KO), and Kyrone Davis (10-0, 4 KO) will face Junior Castillo (9-0, 9 KO).