By Francisco Salazar

While Felix Verdejo goes by the nickname of 'Diamante' (which is diamond in Spanish), one wonders if that stone does him justice.

Verdejo may be 22 years of age, but boxing fans are salivating at the talent he possesses. Some believe Verdejo has not even hit his ceiling.

There will be world titles that will be won one day, possibly as soon as early 2017. But Verdejo will be the first to say he does not want to get ahead of himself.

Maybe his humble and quiet demeanor is what draws fans to him. Or it could be the explosive punching power that plays off his improving skill-set.

Both will likely him to victory tonight, when he fights William Silva inside The Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, N.Y. The 10 round bout between unbeaten lightweight will precede the junior welterweight showdown between WBO champion Terence Crawford and Hank Lundy.

Both fights will air live on HBO, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT.

Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs) has all the tools to become a breakthrough star in the sport. He has an island (Puerto Rico) that supports him, is learning English, and keeps improving with each fight against better opposition.

Top Rank has matched him well to get to this point, which includes a match-up against Silva. The fighter from Brazil is taller and has a longer reach, which could give Verdejo some problems.

Despite this, Verdejo is content with the opportunity to fight again on HBO. He made his debut on the network on June 13, defeating Ivan Najera by unanimous decision in the same venue he is fighting in tonight.

"I'm just happy to be moving forward," Verdejo told Boxingscene.com over the phone earlier in the week. "I appreciate what Top Rank and my management team have done to get me the opportunity to fight on HBO. I just want to fight."

"Silva is tall and strong and he comes to fight. He is unbeaten like myself and I expect him to leave it all out there when we fight on Saturday. I worked hard in the gym to prepare for what he brings."

While Crawford reportedly brought a modest-sized contingent with him from his hometown of Omaha, Neb., the majority of the sold-out crowd inside The Theatre at Madison Square Garden will be of Puerto Rican descent.

Verdejo has a huge following in Puerto Rico, but that has stretched along the East Coast, from Florida to the areas in and around New York City, which include North New Jersey and Connecticut.

Verdejo's popularity has transcended more than what some may have expected, but that is not a surprise to those who cover and following boxing.

Case in point was in his last bout on December 11 when Verdejo stopped Josenilson Dos Santos in the second round. Former two-division world champion Felix Trinidad stood and cheered along with the sold-out crowd at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in Verdejo's hometown of San Juan.

"I thanked for being there, because that motivates me to work hard," recalled Verdejo, who is trained and managed by Ricky Marquez. "He was a great fighter who took accepted challenges to get where he was at. That's what I want to do as well. I would like to fight the best fighters because I would like to fight on the same platforms he (Trinidad) did."

The sky is the limit for Verdejo. While the spotlight gets brighter on him with each passing fight, Verdejo remains extremely humble.

Verdejo understands he is the face of boxing in Puerto Rico, and while Miguel Cotto remains an active fighter, more and more attention will be placed on him.

Other Puerto Rican fighters receive press, including Jose Pedraza and the Arroyo brothers, but Verdejo has managed to steal the thunder and attention in Puerto Rico.

"It's a great feeling to fight for my country. I fight for them and I want to give them my best when I'm in the ring. That's why I take the responsibility to be more disciplined in the gym so that I could be at my best at all times."

Should Verdejo come out with a victory, along with no cuts, he is scheduled to fight again on April 16 in Puerto Rico.

There is a strong likelihood Verdejo will fight again in the summer. But before those are put in place, he has to take care of business tonight against Silva. Verdejo could face some trouble early on due to Silva's height and reach, but expect the Puerto Rican fighter to make a statement as early as midway through the fight or in the later rounds.

"I just want to move forward and fight the best. Someone always is and that is who I want to be."

Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since October of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, Boxingscene.com, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing