Junior welterweight contender Ernesto “Tito” Mercado is ready to make his Big Apple debut.

Mercado told The Ring that his return date is set for June 14 on the undercard of IBF junior welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins’ title defense against George Kambosos Jr. at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York.

Matchroom Boxing hasn’t announced the card yet, and Mercado isn’t aware who he’ll be facing following his dominant fourth-round stoppage win against Jose Pedraza in January.

The knockout artist Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) said he would like to take on another credible opponent, namely fighters like Regis Prograis, Jack Catterall, Oscar Duarte, or Miguel Madueno as he continues his quest for a world title shot.

Mercado is surprisingly not ranked in the top 15 by any of the four major sanctioning bodies despite crushing reputable opponents like Pedraza, Jeremia Nakathila, Henry Lundy, Jayson Velez, and Xolisani Ndongeni ever since making his pro debut in 2021.

The 23-year-old Pomona, California native Mercado signed a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn in August.