Boxing Challenge

Big weekend in the boxing challenge as HBO delivers a tripleheader that should feature a ton of action,PBC with three more fights (only two in the challenge) and two more bouts from Europe that include a title bout and what essentially is a qualifier for the World Boxing Series in the Super Middleweight tournament.
I lead the boxing challenge 79-74.

HBO has the best fights of the weekend with two title fights in the 130 pound division as the jockeying begins for who is number two in the division behind Vasyl Lomachenko.
WBC champ Miguel Berchelt defends his title against former champ Takashi Miura in his first defense since ripping apart Francisco Vargas,who dethroned Miura in a terrific bout.
Berchelt looks to be a coming star,but he'll have to prove it against Miura,who will come at Berchelt all night.
This one is going to be a good one.
Meanwhile on the WBA side,Jezreel Corrales defends his title against Robinson Castellanos.
Corrales shocked long time champ Takashi Uchiyama in April 2016 with a second round knockout before winning a split decision in their rematch.
Castellanos makes a living winning fights that he shouldn't despite an ugly (for a world contender) 24-12 record with upset wins over Ronny Rios,Rocky Juarez and most recently a knockout that ended the hopes of Golden Boy to give a big push to Yuriorkis Gamboa.
I hope that there is a way to hook the winners of these two bouts up in their next fight.
The opener on HBO features the light heavyweights with Joe Smith,who essentially ended the careers of veterans Andrezj Fonfara and Bernard Hopkins against Sullivan Barrera,a durable top ten contender.
The light heavyweights have several interesting contenders and this might mean a title fight for the winner.

The backers of PBC are reported to have seen their war chest of dollars dwindle of late and with PBC having a broadcast date on Fox and delivering a less than brilliant card.
The main event has undefeated former WBC lightweight champ Omar Figueroa fighting for the first time in eighteen months against the PBC gatekeeper in faded former champion Robert Guerrero,who is 1-3 in his last four fights and on my card should be 0-4 (I scored Aron Martinez a winner over Guerrero,who won a split decision).
Figueroa was once thought to be a coming star and disappointed despite remaining undefeated.
Guerrero looks like a shot fighter to me,but Figueroa's style will show us just what Guerrero has left.

The other bout in the challenge on this card puts former Olympian Marcus Browne against Seanie Monaghan in what might be a spirited bout.
Browne comes off a knockout of Thomas Williams and a split decision win over Radivoje Kaladzic that was clearly controversial with Browne losing on my card.
Monaghan has neared a title shot with an exciting style and an ability to draw fans in the New York area,despite never beating anyone near a top twenty contender.

Europe has two fights of note with the main one in the super middleweights as Chris Eubank Jr fights Arthur Abraham in what is basically a "play-in" fight for a World Boxing Series slot.
The winner will be seeded third and will fight Avni Yildrim in the first round of the tournament.
Eubank will be fighting his first contender since rising to the 168 pound division,while the two division champion Abraham will be facing his first true test since losing every round and his WBO belt to Gilberto Ramirez in April 2016.

IBF featherweight champ Lee Selby defends his title against Jonathan Barros in a fight delayed twice by athletic commission dealings with the health of Barros.
One never knows if this one will come off either.
Selby is hoping to see if a win can land him a sizable paycheck for a fight in Northern Ireland against Carl Frampton..

WBC Junior Lightweight title.12 rds
Miguel Berchelt vs Takashi Miura
R.L:Berchelt KO 10
TRS; Berchelt KO 9

WBA Junior Lightweight title .12 rds
Jezreel Corrales vs Robinson Castellanos
Both:Corrales Unanimous Decision

Light Heavyweights.12 rds
Joe Smith vs Sullivan Barrera
R.L:Smith Unanimous Decision
TRS:Smith Split Decision

Welterweights.12 rds
Omar Figueroa vs Robert Guerrero
R.L: Guerrero KO 7
TRS:Figueroa Unanimous Decision

Light Heavyweights.10 rds
Marcus Browne vs Seanie Monaghan
R.L: Monaghan Unanimous Decision
TRS:Browne Unanimous Decision

Super Middleweights.12 rds
Arthur Abraham vs Chris Eubank Jr.
Both:Eubank Unanimous Decision

IBF Featherweight title.12 rds
Lee Selby vs Jonathan Barros
Both:Selby Unanimous Decision