Saturday, July 27, 2019

Boxing Challenge

The Boxing Challenge ends July with two cards with three world title fights in two different divisions including two fighters that consistently talk smack about and to the other, yet are unlikely to ever enter the ring against each other as things currently stand.

DAZN has the fight that I am most excited about as two undefeated and very talented young world champions from two different promotions took the leap forward to make a great fight with the political factions to be damned as WBC junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez travels to Arlington, Texas to battle WBO champion Maurice Hooker in his hometown.
Hooker, who fights on DAZN for Matchroom, has the site and network advantage, but Ramirez and his promoters Top Rank have confidence that their champion can overcome that and leave Texas with both belts.
It'll be very interesting to see what happens and where this fight is staged.
Hooker, who has an official one-inch height advantage, although I'd bet he's taller than that, and the reach advantage will try to make it an outside fight as Ramirez attempts to get inside.
The term "Pick em" fight is a term used often in boxing, but it has been quite a while since I've seen a fight that is as difficult to choose from like this one.
It's good for the sport when promoters (Take a note PBC) cross party lines to actually make the best fights and hopefully, the winner here with their two titles can then make a fight with the winner of Regis Prograis-Josh Taylor, who will have the other two titles, to have one true champion.

The co-feature will have IBF junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer defending his title for the fourth time in under a year, against Guillaume Renaud of France.
Farmer has been the most active champion in boxing, although against B level competition and Renaud appears to be another from that group.
Still, even considering the opposition, it's nice to see a fighter willing to fight more often than his peers.

Showtime is matched opposite with DAZN on Saturday night with a three bout slate led by the homecoming fight in Baltimore by WBA junior lightweight champion Gervonta Davis.
Davis, who is one of those fighters that spends more time sparring on social media with other fighters (Tevin Farmer) than he does throwing punches in the ring, faces mandatory challenger Ricardo Nunez, who appears from the limited video that I have seen to have a puncher's chance, but not a likely one to trouble Davis.
Davis, much like another PBC fighter Gary Russell, has tremendous talent but just doesn't fight enough to stay in the eye of the public and that's too bad as he has the skills to become a major star.

The undercard features an evenly matched, if not fighters in their prime as former champions Yuriorkis Gamboa takes on Rocky Martinez in another one of those fights in which the winner moves on ( the winner is rumored to possibly face Gervonta Davis, groan) and the loser might call it quits.

In the opener, former WBA junior lightweight champion Jezreel Corrales moves to lightweight against Ladarius Miller.
Miller, who holds a win over WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel Herring, is a mover and will likely try to box the often awkward Corrales as his best chance at victory.
Corrales has fought just once against a low-level foe since he was surprisingly knocked out in October 2017 by Alberto Machado, so he will have some inactivity to work through against Miller.

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 191-170

WBC-WBO Junior Welterweight Title Unification. 12 Rds
Jose Ramirez vs Maurice Hooker
R.L: Hooker Split Decision
TRS: Ramirez Split Decision

IBF Junior Lightweight Title. 12 Rds
Tevin Farmer vs Guillaume Frenois
R.L: Farmer KO 6
TRS: Farmer Unanimous Decision

WBC Junior Lightweight Title. 12 Rds
Gervonta Davis vs Ricardo Nunez
R.L: Davis KO 6
TRS: Davis KO 3

Lightweights. 10 Rds
Yuriorkis Gamboa vs Rocky Martinez
R.L: Martinez Unanimous Decision
TRS: Gamboa KO 7

Lightweights. 10 Rds
Jezreel Corrales vs Ladarius Miller
Both: Corrales Unanimous Decision

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