DAZN's Friday night card comes to you from Matchroom from New York City with the main event being interesting as one of the top prospects in the sport takes a step forward in his maturation towards the elite of his division.
Lightweight Devin Haney fights for one of those ridiculous "interim" titles that basically means that sooner or later, the winner will be a mandatory challenger for the real champion-Vasyl Lomachenko.
Haney meets Zaur Abdullaev, who was a decorated amateur but will be fighting outside his native Russia for the first time.
Haney dazzled in his last fight with a spectacular seventh-round knockout of then-undefeated Antonio Moran and ranks with lightweight Teofimo Lopez and welterweight Vergil Ortiz at the top of the prospect list, while we don't really know what Abdullaev will bring to the ring, the amateur record at least shows that he has a strong background.
A crossroads fight at heavyweight is the co-main event as Michael Hunter faces Sergey Kuzmin.
Hunter has looked impressive in his four heavyweight fights (all knockouts) since moving up from cruiserweight after taking his only career loss to Oleksandr Usyk in a title challenge.
Kuzmin is undefeated but was pushed in his last fight against trialhorse Joey Dawejko in a majority decision victory.
The winner could be in line for a possible title shot sometime in 2020 if Anthony Joshua defeats Andy Ruiz in their rematch.
DAZN's Saturday card will be a Golden Boy promotion with their main event showcasing WBO junior middleweight champion Jaimie Munguia defending that championship against Patrick Allotey of Ghana.
Munguia looked like a destroyer in the making after winning his title from Sadam Ali and defending it against Liam Smith but hasn't looked the same in his last two fights, especially in a controversial majority decision win over Australian journeyman Dennis Hogan that I thought he lost.
Allotey has fought one person that you have ever heard in Patrick Teixeira and he lost to him in two rounds, so this looks like a chance for Munguia to get back on course.
In the other challenge matchup, social media star Ryan Garcia faces Avery Sparrow,
Garcia will try to continue to develop as he moves up the ladder against better competition after a close decision win a year ago against Carlos Morales.
Sparrow is 10-1, but his last two wins were against Jose Lopez (who Garcia defeated in his last bout) and durable veteran Hank Lundy, so Sparrow has a chance but will have to outbox Garcia as Sparrow has knocked just three opponents in his ten wins.
The biggest fight of the weekend will be held in Las Vegas on ESPN plus as "Lineal" heavyweight champion Tyson Fury faces Otto Wallin of Sweden.
Fury blasted out Tom Schwartz in two rounds in his last fight in June and Wallin like Schwartz was, is undefeated but has never faced even fringe contender level opposition.
Wallin is better thought of by European observers than Schwartz was, but who really knows the quality of Wallin entering this fight?
A side note on ESPN/Top Rank's and their relentless pushing of the "lineal" heavyweight title.
I don't really have an issue with the lineal title with the 'man that beat the man etc", but I do find it suspicious that only the heavyweight title is being treated in this manner because ESPN/Top Rank currently has a television relationship with Tyson Fury.
Would the lineal title be mentioned if it was WBC champion Deontay Wilder or WBA/IBF/WBO champion Andy Ruiz that ESPN was the home for their fights?
My guess is that it might come up from time to time, but not nearly as often as now.
I don't have a problem pushing it, but have the lineal records ready for other divisions as well and make sure you talk about them when needed.
The other two ESPN fights will match Emanuel Navarrete defending his WBO junior bantamweight title against Juan Manuel Elorde of the Philippines and another crossroads fight as Jose Pedraza faces Jose Zepeda in a junior welterweight bout.
Navarrete returns less than a month after his third-round knockout of Francisco DeVaca against Elorde, who is the grandson of all-time great junior lightweight Flash Elorde.
Pedraza, who has held titles in short reigns in two divisions, moves up to junior welterweight for the first time against Zepeda, who lost a close majority decision to Jose Ramirez for Ramirez's WBC title.
Ramirez has since added the WBO title belt as well.
This should be the best fight of the weekend and is a fight that could go either way.
I lead the challenge over Ramon Malpica 219-188.
Lightweights. 12 Rds
Devin Haney vs Zaur Abdullaev
R.L: Haney KO 6
TRS: Haney Unanimous Decision
Heavyweights. 12 Rds
Michael Hunter vs Sergey Kuzmin
R.L: Hunter KO 4
TRS: Kuzmin Unanimous Decision
Heavyweights 12 Rds
Tyson Fury vs Otto Wallin
R.L: Fury KO 7
TRS: Fury KO 10
WBO Junior Featherweight Title 12 Rds
Emanuel Navarrete vs Juan Miguel Elorde
R.L: Navarrete Unanimous Decision
TRS: Navarrete KO 9
Junior Welterweights.10 Rds
Jose Pedraza vs Jose Zepeda
R.L: Pedraza Unanimous Decision
TRS: Zepeda Split Decision
WBO Junior Middleweight Title. 12 Rds
Jaime Munguia vs Patrick Allotey
R.L: Munguia KO 7
TRS: Munguia KO 3
Junior Welterweights. 10 Rds
Ryan Garcia vs Avery Sparrow
R.L: Garcia KO 5
TRS: Garcia Unanimous Decision
No comments:
Post a Comment