ESPN+ has one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world headlining their show as Vasyl Lomachenko defends his WBA and WBO lightweight titles against former WBA champion and mandatory contender Anthony Crolla Friday night from Los Angeles.
Lomachenko had been hoping to add another championship from IBF titlist Richard Commey, but when Commey dealt with a hand injury after his title-winning performance, the WBA stepped in to mandate their top contender in Crolla immediately.
While Crolla is a former champion, a top ten fighter in the division and acquitted himself well in losing his title and in the subsequent rematch against Lomachenko victim Jorge Linares. there is a world of difference in talent between these two and even though I wouldn't say Crolla is an undeserving challenger in a less than strong division, this is still a match between two different levels of lightweights.
The co-feature brings the move up to light heavyweight of WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez against former title challenger Tommy Karpency.
If you thought the difference in talent between Lomachenko and Crolla was large, the comparison of Ramirez and Karpency is downright canyon-like.
Ramirez was expected to vacate his 168-pound championship after a victory, but rumors are flying of a return to the division for a big unification fight against WBA champion Callum Smith in Great Britain.
Saturday night on DAZN will have the WBO junior middleweight title on the line from Monterrey Mexico as young champion Jaime Munguia defends against mandatory contender Dennis Hogan of Australia.
Munguia looks to be far too big and strong for Hogan, who lost to the only world class opponent he's met in Jack Culcay and with only seven KO's in thirty wins, doesn't seem to have anywhere near the power to keep Mungia off of him.
In other words, it's a borderline squash and yet against the number one contender,bleech.
Fox Sports One has the better Saturday bouts with two IBF title eliminators with both fights have the ability to be decent affairs.
In an eliminator for the 168-pound title of Caleb Plant, former IBF champion Caleb Truax faces former WBO middleweight champion, Peter Quillin.
Quillin, who has been basically inactive since his 2015 one round loss to Daniel Jacobs in fighting only twice since should have the advantage in talent against Truax, who upset James DeGale to win this very title in December 2017, only to lose the rematch a few months later.
The questions are these- how much has Quillin lost by not fighting and does Truax, who has been more active, but other than the DeGale victory has beaten no one of world-class ability, have the skills to best Quillin?
In a middleweight eliminator to fight the winner of the Canelo Alvarez-Daniel Jacobs title unifier in a few weeks, Sergiy Dereyvanchenko battles the aforementioned Jack Culcay.
The aggressive Dereyvanchenko lost a split decision to Jacobs for the vacant IBF title in a very fan friendly fight and no matter who wins the Alvarez-Jacobs fight, a fight vs Dereyvanchenko could be a fun fight to watch.
In order to get there, however, Dereyvanchenko will have to get by Culcay, who lost a split decision to WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade and defeated the previously mentioned Dennis Hogan before losing a unanimous decision to Macjej Sulecki in an excellent fight.
This could be a very good fight, but I think the stronger Dereyvanchenko wears down Culcay late and pulls away on the scorecards.
In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 72-65
WBA/WBO Lightweight Titles. 12 Rds
Vasyl Lomachenko vs Anthony Crolla
R.L: Lomachenko Unanimous Decision
TRS; Lomachenko KO 9
Light Heavyweights. 10 Rds
Gilberto Ramirez vs Tommy Karpency
R.L: Ramirez KO 7
TRS: Ramirez KO 4
WBO Junior Middleweight Title.12 Rds
Jaime Munguia vs Dennis Hogan
R.L: Munguia KO 4
TRS: Munguia KO 6
Super Middleweights. 12 Rds
Peter Quillin vs Caleb Truax
Both: Quillin Unanimous Decision
Middleweights. 12 Rds
Sergiy Dereyvanchenko vs Jack Culcay
R.L: Dereyvanchenko Unanimous Decision
TRS: Dereyvanchenko KO 10
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