Saturday, May 18, 2019

Boxing Challenge

The boxing challenge features six matchups this weekend that all have solid favorites, but all are interesting enough that are worth keeping an eye on and some even have a live underdog available to try for a possible upset.

The biggest fight of the weekend takes place in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn where the WBC heavyweight title is the prize, but there is far more than only the championship at stake with an amount of animosity between the two that if that level is reached between two combatants of equal stature would be the talk of the sports world.
Wilder is the deserved heavy favorite and even if I think Breazeale is a questionable mandatory contender (with only three wins over undistinguished opposition since his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua), Breazeale has enough quality to be one of Wilder's better challengers.
Considering both fighters feelings and that Wilder generally only fights one way, this could be a wild contest and with Deontay Wilder's defense and chin, any fight against a top ten contender has its dangers.

Gary Russell makes his yearly visit to the ring with another defense of his WBC featherweight title against Kiko Martinez.
Russell, who is the most talented featherweight in boxing, but seems to prefer to play businessman, could be a dominant champion for years and make excellent fights, but would rather face fighters such as Martinez, who has failed against every top fighter he has faced.
Russell will look great and leave us wanting more-As usual.
The pair of WBC title events can be watched on Showtime.

The World Boxing Super Series returns in Glasgow, Scotland with semi-finals in the junior welterweights and bantamweight division brought to you from DAZN.
The tournament has been dealing with financial problems that might be caused with too much growth too soon ( moving from two tournaments to three after the first year) causing the WBSS to be a bit behind in holding their semi-finals but will be offering two excellent fights in their brackets today.

Naoya Inoue is considered one of the best fighters in the world, yet he only holds a minor title entering the bantamweight semi.
Inoue is favored to change that against IBF champion Emmanuel Rodriguez, who is brushed aside by most as a mere obstacle for the "Monster"'s final appearance against Nonito Donaire.
I'm not, as I think Rodriguez not only is the most difficult opponent yet for Inoue, but he'll even have some success against him.
I think Inoue will be too strong, but I've believed all along that if anyone defeats Inoue in this division, it's Emmanuel Rodriguez.
As noted, the winner will face WBA champion Nonito Donaire in the tournament championship for the Muhammad Ali trophy.

The junior welterweight semi is similar to the bantams where the champion is a heavy underdog to the defending champion, where the hometown hero Josh Taylor will attempt to take away Ivan Baranchyk's IBF title.
Baranchyk's straight ahead attacking style should mesh very well with Taylor's and not only is this the closest fight of the weekend, but it is also likely to be the best.
The winner of the fight will not only move to the finals, but they will also have WBA champion Regis Prograis waiting for a unification bout.

ESPN + will televise two bouts from England this afternoon with the most important fight filling the WBO super middleweight title that Gilberto Martinez vacated earlier the week.
Former WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders will battle Shefat Isufi for that title with Saunders being favored to add the second WBO title to his trophy case.
Isufi has never fought anyone of Saunders caliber and seems to be overmatched.

Heavyweight prospect Joe Joyce will take another step to heavyweight contention against Alexander Ustinov.
Joyce knocked out a faded\ Bermane Stiverne in his last fight, while Ustinov has lost his last two fights against fighters (Michael Hunter and Manuel Charr) that have nowhere near the power of Joyce.
This one looks to end early..

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 121-104.

WBC Heavyweight Title.12 Rds
Deontay Wilder vs Dominic Breazeale
R.L; Wilder KO 3
TRS: Wilder KO 5

WBC Featherweight Title. 12 Rds
Gary Russell vs Kiko Martinez
R.L: Russell KO 9
TRS: Russell Unanimous Decision

IBF Bantamweight Title. 12 Rds
Emmanuel Rodriguez vs Naoya Inoue
R.L: Inoue KO 5
TRS: Inoue KO 8

IBF Junior Welterweight Title. 12 Rds
Ivan Baranchyk vs Josh Taylor
Both: Taylor Unanimous Decision

Vacant WBO Super Middleweight Title. 12 Rds
Billy Joe Saunders vs Shefat Isufi
Both: Saunders Unanimous Decision

Heavyweights. 10 Rds
Joe Joyce vs Alexander Ustinov
R.L: Joyce KO 4
TRS: Joyce KO 2



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