Friday, July 19, 2019

Boxing Challenge

Another big weekend in the boxing challenge with matches on Thursday, Friday and Saturday offers an important heavyweight fight on DAZN with a huge card on PBC.

On Ring.TV or on some regional sports networks, the main event is an interesting middleweight bout between undefeated Jason Quigley and veteran Tureano Johnson.
This shapes up as an action fight as Johnson rarely takes a backward step and Quigley has stopped twelve of his sixteen opponents.
Johnson is the best foe that Quigley has faced, but there are questions with just how much he has left in the tank.
Johnson took a brutal beating in a 12th round KO loss to Sergey Dereyvanchenko and in his first fight since that loss, battled to a draw in an eight-rounder against a fighter with a 26-13 record, so Quigley may be catching Johnson on the back nine of his career.

Oxon Hill Maryland is the site for ESPN+ on Friday with the phenomenal lightweight prospect Teofimo Lopez in an IBF eliminator against Japan's Masayoshi Nakatani.
Should Lopez win as he is expected to, Lopez becomes the mandatory contender for the title held by Richard Commey and will face Commey in the fall.
The winner of that fight will unify all four titles early next year against the winner of Vasyl Lomachenko and Luke Campbell's fight in September, who will hold the other three titles at 135 pounds.

The other fight on the challenge slate is another IBF eliminator for the mandatory contender slot for their champion, who is currently Josh Taylor, but could be Regis Prograis after their unification fight/World Boxing Super Series final.
Undefeated Maxim Dadashev is only 13-0, but has two solid wins over veterans Antonio DeMarco and Darleys Perez, while his opponent Subriel Matias has stopped all thirteen of his opponents, but none of the caliber of Perez or DeMarco.

DAZN delivers a heavyweight doubleheader from London with the main event a WBC eliminator for the mandatory contender spot for Deontay Wilder's championship.
Dillian Whyte, who has been more than qualified for a while for a title shot faces Oscar Rivas, who defeated Bryant Jennings in his last time out.
Whyte should be the favorite and would make a solid mandatory for Wilder in the next year or so.

Perennial fringe contender Dereck Chisora, who gives almost every contender some trouble faces Artur Spilka, who generally fights exciting fights in the co-feature in what should at least be entertaining as far as action goes.

The main card of the weekend is on pay per view with the PBC putting together a strong four-bout card with the main event, an excellent one with WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman defending against Manny Pacquiao.
The legendary Pacquiao has revitalized his career since moving to the PBC with wins over Adrien Broner and Lucas Matthysse, but he's still 40 years old and age tends to land with a thump at this level, not one with a creep.
Thurman, who has had his nickname of "One Time" changed to fit his inactivity and lack of knockouts of late, still is a solid boxer-puncher and despite his undefeated record, some (including me) have questions to be answered.
I can see this ending in almost any way, which is what makes this such an intriguing fight.

The welterweight eliminator for a shot at WBC champion Shawn Porter is interesting as well as Yordanis Ugas takes on former lightweight champion Omar Figueroa.
Figueroa was once thought of many (including me) as a future star with a fan-friendly style, but inactivity and out of the ring issues have put the brakes on what was a promising career.
Ugas had a recent winning streak snapped against Shawn Porter in a fight that many thought Ugas won, so this is an excellent co-feature.

A fight that could steal the show is another welterweight battle as former junior welterweight champion Sergey Lipinets opposes veteran warhorse, John Molina.
Lipinets was very impressive in driving former junior welterweight champion Lamont Peterson into retirement in his last fight, while Molina usually delivers a good fight, even in a losing effort.
Keep in mind that Molina has taken more than his share of punishment in his career and as mentioned with Manny Pacquiao, the check for that with older fighters can come due suddenly.

The opener is talented bantamweight Luis Nery, who is the one fighter that just might give Naoya Inoue a run for his money.
We'll see how Nery stacks up against Inoue, as he faces Juan Carlos Payano, who Inoue knocked out in one round in the World Boxing Super Series.

In a televised fight with a preview of the card on Fox, Caleb Plant defends his IBF super-middleweight title for the first time against Mike Lee.
Plant, who was matched very carefully in his rise up the rankings against a parade of journeymen and enhancement talent, surprised many (especially me) with an upset win over Jose Uzcategui to win the title.
Plant, who usually is dull to watch, might be more willing to engage against Lee, a former football player, and Subway pitchman, who hasn't fought since June 2018 and has never beaten anyone in the top 50.
This is a totally undeserved title shot for Lee, is exactly the type of title fights that I predicted that PBC would be looking for Plant's reign and this is a ridiculous fight to have signed in the first place.
The IBF should be embarrassed to have sanctioned this at all.

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 179-161

Middleweights. 10 Rds
Jason Quigley vs Tureano Johnson
R.L: Quigley KO 6
TRS: Quigley Unanimous Decision

Lightweights 12 Rds
Teofimo Lopez vs Masayoshi Nakatani
R.L: Lopez KO 4
TRS: Lopez KO 2

Junior Welterweights 12 Rds
Maxim Dadashev vs Subriel Matias
R.L: Matias KO 7
TRS; Dadashev Unanimous Decision

Heavyweights. 10 Rds
Dereck Chisora vs Artur Spilka
Both: Chisora Unanimous Decision

Heavyweights 12 Rds
Dillian Whyte vs Oscar Rivas
R.L: Whyte KO 6
TRS: Whyte Unanimous Decision

WBA Welterweight Title 12 Rds
Keith Thurman vs Manny Pacquiao
R.L: Thurman Split Decision
TRS: Pacquiao Split Decision

Welterweights. 12 Rds
Yordanis Ugas vs Omar Figueroa
R.L: Figueroa Unanimous Decision
TRS: Ugas Unanimous Decision

Junior Welterweights 10 Rds-Editor's Note; Fight canceled with a late pullout by Molina
Sergey Lipinets vs John Molina
Both: Lipinets Unanimous Decision

Bantamweights 12 Rds
Luis Nery vs Juan Carlos Payano
R.L: Nery KO 8
TRS: Nery KO 3

IBF Super Middleweight Title  12 Rds
Caleb Plant vs Mike Lee
R.L: Plant KO 6
TRS: Plant KO 10



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