Boxing Challenge

Boxing's weekend is centered around New York with our top-ranked fighters in two divisions on the same card and a far lesser slate on cable that seems to be nothing more than a counter-programming move against the best event of the day.

DAZN brings forth their claimant to the heavyweight champion, who brings three championships with him as Anthony Joshua defends against late replacement Andy Ruiz.
Ruiz replaces Jarrell Miller, who fell out after failing drug tests (Yes, that's plural) that found that Miller had more PED's in his system than toppings on a pizza, yet the drop in quality between the original opponent and the replacement is nil.
Ruiz showed talent in his only loss, a narrow decision to Joseph Parker for the vacant WBO title, but tired late in a winnable fight that seemed like lack of conditioning could have cost him that fight.
Parker would later drop that belt to Joshua and Ruiz returned to his less active schedule with a fifteen-month absence from the ring.

Give Ruiz credit for taking this fight on shorter notice than preferred after his fifth round win over Alexander Dimitrenko on April 20th and I think he's not a lesser fighter than Miller, so this isn't a squash match, but Joshua deserves to be a strong favorite.
As for the champion, who not only follows WBC champion Deontay Wilder's devastating performance against Dominic Breazeale but Wilder's announcement yesterday of a rematch vs Luis Ortiz (who turned down seven million to take Miller's place against Joshua) in the fall before a rematch vs lineal champion Tyson Fury of their draw in December 2018, early in 2020, Joshua makes his American debut and needs a smashing performance to maintain his claim as the best of the bunch.
I think Ruiz will have an occasional moment or two, but in the end, should show the difference between a top-five contender and a top ten model.

The co-main features the top super middleweight in the world in his American debut as WBA champion Callum Smith defends his title against long-time middleweight fringe contender Hassan N'Dam.
Smith won the World Boxing Super Series with his knockout of George Groves last September and has been mentioned for a possible Canelo Alvarez fight in the fall if the Canelo-Gennady Golovkin third fight (It's Golovkin if DAZN gets their way, but it could be Smith should the Golden Boy gang get theirs) doesn't happen.
Smith again is a clear favorite over N'Dam, who is coming off a win over Martin Murray in a battle of former contenders that are past their expiration date as serious title contenders, but failed in his attempts to leap from a lower part of the top 12 to a higher level in losses to Peter Quillin and David Lemieux.

Since it's a big fight night, it just wouldn't be right to have one of the other two promotional entities/television/streaming media not counter-program their card and tonight it's PBC and FS1 with a card that pales in comparison, but is FREEEE (copyright to Steve Kim) with a former champion that rarely excites even in victory against a once top prospect that never reached a contender's level with an undercard match of two former title challengers that really weren't qualified to be one.

In the main event, former 140 and 147 pound champion Devon Alexander returns after a draw with Victor Ortiz (that I had Alexander winning 118-110!) and a split decision loss to Andre Berto ( I had Alexander winning 116-111) against Ivan Redkach, who makes entertaining fights against fighters that stand toe to toe and are of a just below top 10-15 status.
Redkach's loss last year to John Molina was a tremendous fight that saw both fighters hit the floor in a four round war, but when facing a boxer that moves, Redkach looks very ordinary as he did in a lopsided 2016 loss to current IBF junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer.
Alexander is far more similar to Farmer than Molina and this looks like a fight with two fighters from different levels.

The co-feature is a middleweight fight that matches former world title challengers (I'm being generous with that description for Centeno, who fought for a vacant minor title) that are more fringe contenders that true title threats.
Willie Monroe Jr faces Hugo Centeno in a fight of marginal middleweights on the outside of contention.
Monroe is a slick boxer that can't bust a grape (6 KO's) with one solid win (Gabe Rosado, which isn't unusual against guys that move) while Centeno has failed miserably against contenders (knocked out in two by Jermall Charlo and in ten by Macjej Sulecki, a no contest in a fight that he lost in every round ended by an accidental headbutt against Julian Williams), yet seems to continue to have opportunities like this given to him.
Centeno's third round knockout of Immanuel Aleem is the only highlight on his record and while Aleem fits in well with fighters on the level of Monroe and Centeno, he isn't a true top ten contender either.
The winner will likely move onto another shot at someone beyond their level, while the loser is likely to be headed to trialhorse status.

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 135-120

WBA/IBF/WBO Heavyweight Titles. 12 Rds
Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz
R.L; Joshua KO 4
TRS: Joshua KO 9

WBA Super Middleweight Title. 12 Rds
Callum Smith vs Hassan N'Dam
R.L: Smith KO 10
TRS: Smith KO 6

Welterweights.10 Rds
Devon Alexander vs Ivan Redkach
Both: Alexander Unanimous Decision

Middleweights. 10 Rds
Willie Monroe Jr vs Hugo Centeno
R.L: Monroe Unanimous Decision
TRS: Centeno Unanimous Decision