The feature fight of the weekend will unify three-quarters of the welterweight championship as WBC and IBF champion Errol Spence will face his WBA counterpart Yordenis Ugas in what finally could remove the final roadblock to WBO top dawg Terence Crawford.
Spence was scheduled to fight Manny Pacquiao last year but in training was discovered to have had a torn retina and dropped out of the fight and was replaced by Ugas, who decisioned Pacquiao and sent the future Hall of Famer into retirement.
Ugas has only lost once since moving to welterweight, a narrow defeat to Shawn Porter that could have been given to either fighter (I scored it even at 114-114) and should give Spence a test.
Spence hasn't scored a knockout since 2018 but he is the better puncher and unless Ugas boxes perfectly or Spence's eye is more affected than is thought, I like Spence by a clear decision.
The fight I'm most excited about is on Showtime before the PPV as a WBA minor title is at stake but more importantly the winner will be ordered to face the winner of Spence-Ugas as Radzhab Butaev fights Eimantas Stanionis in what should be an all-action encounter.
Both fighters are undefeated although Butaev lost a close decision to Alexander Besputin in 2019, which was overturned when Besputin failed a post-fight drug test.
Butaev looked very impressive in his last victory when he stopped Jamal James in nine rounds to take the minor title and give James the first defeat of his career.
Stanionis decisioned divisional gatekeeper Thomas Dulorme last year before a no-contest against aging former champion Luis Collazo in the fourth round in his most recent fight.
Butaev seems to have an advantage in power, Stanionis is the more skilled boxer and was a 2016 Olympian with a better amateur background.
This could be the fight of the evening.
The remainder of the undercard is less than inspiring as Isaac Cruz returns off his close loss to Gervonta Davis to face aging veteran Yuriorkis Gamboa in a lightweight fight.
Hot prospect Jose Valenzuela opposes another veteran on the downside of his career in former junior lightweight champion Francisco Vargas.
Welterweight Cody Crowley upset the IBF's number one contender, Kudatrillo Abdukakhorov in his last fight and faces rugged veteran Josesito Lopez, a longtime staple of PBC fights from 140-154 pounds.
The main event from Manchester, England from Matchroom and DAZN will pit welterweight prospect Conor Benn against veteran Chris Van Heerden.
Benn knocked out former WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algeri in four rounds in his most recent fight while Van Heerden, a former victim of Errol Spence, saw his last fight end in the first round when undefeated contender Jaron "Boots" Ennis and Van Heerden clashed heads and a no-contest was declared.
Boxing Challenge
V.S: Benn KO 8
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