Alberto Puello returns atop Morrell vs Agbeko prelims

Alberto Puello was stripped of his WBA super lightweight title after failing a drug test

Showtime has announced the three-fight lead-in to Saturday’s David Morrell Jr vs Sena Agbeko show, which airs on the network’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

The featured attraction sees former WBA super lightweight champion Alberto Puello (21-0, 10 KO) make his first appearance since edging out Batyr Akhmedov two Augusts ago. The Dominican vet was slated to make his inaugural defense against Rolly Romero, but wound up testing positive for clomiphene, leading the WBAto demote him to “champion in recess” while Romero faced Ismael Barroso for the now-vacant belt.

Romero then took over the champion in recess slot when he got hurt, so it’s not really clear where Puello stands at the moment; he doesn’t appear on the WBA’s list of champions or in their rankings, but that’s never stopped GIlberto Mendoza and co. before.

In any case, he faces Ector Madera (11-0, 6 KO) in an eight-rounder. Madera’s never been booked past six and is by all accounts incredibly screwed.

In other action, network regular and semi-recent David Benavidez victim Kyrone Davis (17-3-1, 6 KO) meets Cruse Stewart (8-2, 6 KO), whom you may recall from the time Elijah Garcia knocked his block off last year. Also, Lawrence King (13-1, 11 KO) meets Alex Theran (23-12, 15 KO), who’s lost seven straight and been stopped in four of those.

F***ing disgraceful matchmaking and the Minnesota commission should be ashamed.