Saturday, September 8, 2018

Boxing Challenge

The Boxing Challenge hits the fall with a strong weekend with three of the four power players in boxing with cards on Saturday.

The biggest fight isn't necessarily the best card, but Showtime's battle for the vacant WBC welterweight title with Danny Garcia facing Shawn Porter in Brooklyn.
Both former champions, Garcia (WBC) and Porter (IBF) also have razor close losses to Keith Thurman on their record and the winner is rumored to perhaps face Thurman in a rematch early next year.
Porter will be the aggressor, but is not a huge puncher, while Garcia is thought of by many as being a bigger puncher than he truly is, but he is the harder hitter of the two and the better boxer as well.
Something tells me that this is going to be very close on the cards, many will see Porter as the winner and Garcia will receive an unpopular decision.
Hope that's not the case, as I'll be rooting for Porter.

The co-feature is an eliminator for the title that Garcia and Porter are fighting for as Yordanis Ugas attempts to continue an impressive seven-fight winning streak against unknown Cesar Miguel Barrioneuvo of Argentina.
Ugas should be the favorite to win, but who really knows how good the Argentine is without any world-class opponents and never fighting in North America.

HBO returns with a three-fight card named "Superfly 3" with three interesting bouts, although it lacks the compelling matchups of the previous Superfly cards.
Juan Francisco Estrada returns off his close loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai via majority decision against Felipe Orucuta, who appears to be a huge underdog in this one.
Estrada was hoping for a Rungvisai rematch, but instead has one step above an enhancement match vs Orucuta, who came up short in his only world title shot against Omar Narvaez.
Orucuta has 30 knockouts, so he should have a puncher's chance, but he'll be hoping for a huge punch as it might be his only chance.

Three division champion Donnie Nietes attempts to win a fourth as he faces Aston Palicte for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title vacated by Naoya Inoue.
One has to wonder when Nietes will hit the wall for weight as he continues to move up, but it shouldn't against Palicte, who lacks a signature win other than a split decision over then-undefeated Oscar Cantu in late 2016.

In the opener, another three-division champion makes his 115 pound debut as Kazuto Ioka of Japan moves up against McWilliams Arroyo, who upset Carlos Cuadras in his last fight.
This could be the most competitive bout on the card and the winner against Nietes would make a lot of sense with a Rungvisai-Estrada II on a prospective "Superfly 4".

One other challenge bout is brought to you by DAZN, who plans to be up and running in America later this month.
DAZN is giving this one away on Facebook with Amir Khan continuing his comeback against journeyman Samuel Vargas,
Vargas looks to be overmatched when you remember him being pummelled on a PBC card by Danny Garcia, but he is 5-0-1 since then, so I suppose there is hope.
The more likely ending is Khan by some type of stoppage.

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 127-101

Vacant WBC Welterweight Title. 12 Rds
Danny Garcia vs Shawn Porter
R.L: Porter Unanimous Decision
TRS: Garcia Split Decision

Welterweights. 12 Rds
Yordanis Ugas vs Cesar Miguel Barrioneuvo
R.L: Ugas Unanimous Decision
TRS: Ugas KO 8

Junior Bantamweights 12 Rds
Juan Francisco Estrada vs Felipe Orucuta
Both: Estrada Unanimous Decision

Vacant WBO Junior Bantamweight Title. 12 Rds
Donnie Nietes vs Aston Palicte
R.L: Nietes Unanimous Decision
TRS: Nietes KO 6

Jr, Bantamweights. 10 Rds
Kazuto Ioka vs McWilliams Arroyo
Both: Ioka Unanimous Decision

Welterweights.12 Rds
Amir Khan vs Samuel Vargas
R.L: Khan Unanimous Decision
TRS: Khan KO 4



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