The biggest fight of the weekend is the final major event on HBO as the IBF's vacancy in the middleweight division will be occupied by the winner of the Daniel Jacobs-Sergey Derevyanchenko fight.
The title was ridiculously stripped for Gennady Golovkin in the spring for fighting an interim bout against Vanes Martirosyan after the GGG team was assured that they would not be stripped after filing (and more importantly paying for) an exception for the Martirosyan and resulting Canelo Alvarez fights.
Alvarez would have the title now, but that made the decision no less obtuse.
Daniel Jacobs is a fighter that basically is living off his first-round knockout of Peter Quillin in 2015 and his better than expected performance against Gennady Golovkin that a few foolish Kool-Aid guzzlers insist that he won.
He doesn't own another significant win over a top ten 160 pounder and hasn't looked great in his two post-Golovkin fights in decision wins over Luis Arias and Macjej Sulecki, against who I had Jacobs winning by just one point in his last fight,
I'd feel a ton better about picking Derevyanchenko to pull an upset if he had fought more than once (in a stay-busy fight) since August of last year.
Derevyanchenko looked so strong in mowing down Tureano Johnson (who I would grade as being close to the level of Peter Quillin) to earn the IBF's number one contender slot that I was really looking forward to a Golovkin-Derevyanchenko fight for a possible war.
Sadly, boxing politics cost us that and Derevyanchenko has protected his guaranteed title fight since, even at the possible cost of sharpness.
Most people are picking Jacobs, but Derevyanchenko is a hitter and I still think Jacobs doesn't take the best shot...
Alberto Machado defends his minor title after being screwed out of the WBA title (Machado knocked out their "Super" champion Jezreel Corrales and then the WBA made him their "regular" champion and filled the real title with Gervonta Davis after Davis defeated Jesus Cuellar) against Yuandale Evans.
Evans is talented, but was taken out in one round by Javier Fortuna in one round in his only loss in 2012 and has fought just four times since.
This might be an interesting fight as Machado isn't afraid to trade punches and Evans looked good in his fight against Luis Rosa last time out.
The World Boxing Super Series shifts to New Orleans and DAZN with two fights in the junior welterweight tournament.
Hometown fighter and top seed Regis Prograis defends his minor title against former WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan in the main event.
Prograis is an incredibly effective offensive fighter and punches like a mule, while Flanagan vacated his lightweight title after five successful (and usually dull) defenses to move up for one of the titles vacated by Terence Crawford, where he dropped a split decision to Maurice Hooker.
I don't see this being close unless Flanagan is able to slow it down and win a boring and rougher fight, but the problem for Flanagan that he is the smaller guy, the lighter puncher and the fighter that isn't the stronger.
The winner faces the third seed and WBA champ Kiryl Relikh in the semi-finals.
The IBF title at 140 pounds is on the table for the winner of Ivan Baranchyk of Belarus and Sweden's Anthony Yigit.
The unbeaten Baranchyk has been on a nice run against B level opposition including a stoppage over respected veteran Petr Petrov on Showtime' ShoBox series while Yigit is undefeated, against weaker competition and has stopped just seven opponents in his twenty-one wins.
I think Baranchyk likely walks Yigit down and wins a lopsided decision or gets him out late.
The winner not only gets the IBF title, but they also move to the semis against the winner of England's Josh Taylor and American Ryan Martin.
ESPN + brings an important heavyweight eliminator in the IBF as Bulgaria''s Kubrat Pulev faces Hughie Fury of Great Britain in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Pulev was scheduled to face Anthony Joshua in 2017 before pulling out with an injury and has just one loss, a knockout to Wladimir Klitschko in his only challenge for a title.
Fury lost a tight decision to Joseph Parker for the WBO title in his only loss in 2017, but has fought just once since.
In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 172-147.
Vacant IBF Middleweight Title. 12 Rds
Daniel Jacobs vs Sergey Derevyanchenko
R.L: Jacobs Unanimous Decision
TRS: Derevyanchenko KO 11
Junior Lightweights 12 Rds
Alberto Machado vs Yaundale Evans
R.L; Machado KO 7
TRS; Machado KO 9
World Boxing Super Series Junior Welterweight Quarter-Final. 12 Rds
Regis Prograis vs Terry Flanagan
R.L: Prograis KO 10
TRS: Prograis KO 8
Vacant IBF Junior Welterweight Title/World Boxing Super Series Junior Welterweight Quarter-Final. 12 Rds
Ivan Baranchyk vs Anthony Yigit
Both: Baranchyk Unanimous Decision
Heavyweights. 12 Rds
Kubrat Pulev vs Hughie Fury
R.L: Pulev Unanimous Decision
TRS: Pulev Split Decision
No comments:
Post a Comment