With three solid fights that you could make an argument for either combatant winning each of the fights, the only issue that I have is this- Why isn't HBO televising the fourth good fight on the card?
Either with an online stream or a farm-out to HBO Latino, I would have found a way to televise Brian Viloria against Artem Dalakian for the vacant WBA flyweight title, but other than that, I don't think anyone can quibble with the HBO card.
The main event offers the WBC junior bantamweight title as champion Sriasket Sor Rungvisai ( TRS # 2 at 122), the two-time conqueror of Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, defends against Juan Francisco Estrada (TRS #3), the number one contender and former flyweight champion.
Rungvisai and Estrada are both entertaining fighters that have varied skills and styles that should produce an interesting exchange of tactics with a fight that shouldn't have a favorite entering the fight.
I'm as excited about this fight as I've been in a while and I think it has fight of the year level possibilities.
The co-feature is the one that might not be a pick'em fight, but it's one that does not have a prohibitive favorite as former WBC junior bantamweight champ Carlos Cuadras battles McWilliams Arroyo, a two-time title challenger.
Cuadras lost a unanimous decision (by one point on all three scorecards) to Juan Francisco Estrada in his last fight or it would be Cuadras facing Rungvisai while Arroyo lost a unanimous decision to Roman Gonzalez in his last fight.
Cuadras is surprisingly unranked at TRS, but that is more of a sign of the divisional strength and certainly not a negative on Cuadras, who would have a solid chance of winning against any fighter ranked above him in the division.
Cuadras should win this one, but Arroyo could give him all that he wishes.
The first fight drops to the flyweight division as Donnie Nietes (TRS #2) receives his first American TV exposure as he defends his IBF flyweight belt against top contender Juan Carlos Reveco (TRS #4).
Nietes has won titles at minimumweight and light flyweight, while Reveco has won titles at light flyweight and flyweight with the fight matched two of the best four flyweights in the world.
Nietes has not lost since 2004 (his only loss via split decision), while Reveco has won three in a row since losing his WBA flyweight title to Kazuto Iota and then losing their rematch.
Ioka retired in December as our top-rated flyweight, while in our last ratings, Nietes was second to Ioka, but was jumped by the exciting Daigo Higa to replace Ioka at the top of the division.
An untelevised bout on the HBO card fills the WBA flyweight title vacated by the aforementioned Ioka.
Brian Viloria, a champion at both light flyweight and flyweight, attempts to win another title as he takes on undefeated Artem Dalakian of Ukraine.
The issue here is which will prove to be a larger factor- the lack of world class opposition faced by Dalakian or will the 37-year-old Viloria finally show his age and step away from the world stage?
The World Boxing Super Series concludes its semi-final round in the super middleweight tournament and it appears that it will be doing so with a less than competitive fight.
The Callum Smith (TRS #4)-Jurgen Braehmer bout was the least enticing of the four semi-final bouts in the two tournaments, but it became even worse when Braehmer dropped out earlier this week with an infection of some type.
Tournaments in boxing always take the chance of being slowed by injuries and supposedly the WBSS was going to be ready with qualified replacements when needed.
The replacement for Braehmer is far from "Qualified" as undefeated Nieky Holzken enters to fight Smith.
The former kickboxing star is undefeated, but has fought no one of any stature at all and looks to be overmatched.
I used to love watching PKA Karate in the early days of ESPN and found it entertaining, but I remember when a few of those guys tried boxing and even at the lower levels of the game struggled.
It's a different game and those guys usually struggle with getting leverage on their punches.
This is a mismatch and the WBSS needs to be better prepared with standby opponents if their tournament is to continue to grow.
In an untelevised bout (I think it will be on tape delay later in the week) from Japan, Danny Roman makes his first defense of his WBA junior featherweight title against Japan's Ryo Matsumoto.
Roman, who fights for Thompson Boxing, who puts on a nice club card on Facebook once a month,
I've never seen Matsumoto, but he is advertised at 5'11, which is extremely tall for a 122 pounder and should make an interesting sight in the ring.
A bout that we are counting in the challenge now, but isn't until the middle of next week is also from Japan as Luis Nery (TRS #1) defends his WBC bantamweight championship against the man he won the title from in Shinsuke Yamanaka (TRS #4).
Nery scored a huge upset in knocking Yamanaka out last year in the fourth round but failed a VADA drug test after the bout.
Nery claimed it was due to contaminated meat (Don't laugh, this happens often to Mexican fighters) and the WBC allowed Nery to keep the title provided he would give Yamanaka an immediate rematch.
Yamanaka had held the title for over six years and made 12 successful defenses so this will be an interesting fight to see whether Nery's win was a fluke or this fight is the end for a proud champion in Yamanaka.
I lead Ramon Malpica in the boxing challenge 22-18.
WBC Junior Bantamweight Title. 12 Rds
Sriasket Sor Rungvisai vs Juan Francisco Estrada
R.L: Rungvisai Unanimous Decision
TRS: Estrada Unanimous Decision
Junior Bantamweights. 10 Rds
Carlos Cuadras vs McWilliams Arroyo
Both: Cuadras Unanimous Decision
IBF Flyweight Title. 12 Rds
Donnie Nietes vs Juan Carlos Reveco
Both: Nietes Unanimous Decision
Vacant WBA Flyweight Title. 12 Rds
Brian Viloria vs Artem Dalakian
R.L: Viloria Unanimous Decision
TRS: Dalakian Unanimous Decision
World Boxing Super Series Super Middleweight Semi-Final 12 Rds
Callum Smith vs Nieky Holzken
R.L: Smith KO 8
TRS: Smith KO 5
WBA Junior Featherweight Title. 12 Rds
Danny Roman vs Ryo Matsumoto
R.L: Matsumoto Unanimous Decision
TRS: Roman Unanimous Decision
WBC Bantamweight Title, 12 Rds
Luis Nery vs Shinsuke Yamanaka
R.L: Nery KO 5
TRS: Yamanaka Split Decision
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