The biggest fight, of course, is from Las Vegas brought to you by Golden Boy and DAZN as Sergey Kovalev defends his WBO light heavyweight title against Canelo Alvarez, current WBA middleweight champion, franchise something by the WBC, minor titleist for almost a year as a super middleweight without even a sniff of a fight there, and general cash cow as virtually the only real thing keeping Golden Boy alive as a major player in the game.
While Kovalev is the champion and seems to have recovered from his upset loss last year to Eleider Alvarez after winning the rematch with Alvarez and a KO victory in an excellent fight with mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde, Alvarez still is regarded as the favorite on the betting line.
Alvarez last fought in May, winning a unanimous decision to retain his WBA and WBC middleweight titles and added Jacobs' IBF title as well.
Since then, the WBC made Alvarez their ridiculous "franchise" champion and handed his WBC title to Jermall Charlo and the IBF took their title away after Alvarez's refusal to fight Sergey Dereyvanchenko.
The general opinion has Alvarez getting inside and pounding Kovalev's body, thinking the "Krusher" is vulnerable there after being "knocked out" by Andre Ward with bodywork.
I differ on that, as even though I think Andre Ward was on his way to winning their second fight, the facts are that Ward drilled Kovalev low several times in the final salvo of the fight and referee Tony Weeks ignored that in one of the worst cases of referring in a big fight in years, only challenged by the ineptitude of Laurence Cole in the Orlando Salido-Vasyl Lomachenko match.
What I do wonder about is Kovalev's chin after being knocked out by Eleider Alvarez, a good not great puncher and while he took some big shots from Anthony Yarde, who is a harder puncher than Alvarez, I still wonder what happens when adversity rises against the faster Canelo.
Kovalev is the bigger man and the bigger puncher, Canelo has never stopped an elite-level opponent and his last stoppage over a good opponent was three years ago in a ninth-round knockout of Liam Smith.
The wonder for me with Kovalev is this- Is this Kovalev's cash-in fight or is he truly going in to do whatever it takes to win this?
I think this is a closer fight than many seem to, but it all comes down to what Sergey Kovalev has left.
If he can stay on the outside and land his excellent jab, Kovalev has an excellent chance to win this, but Canelo and Las Vegas are peanut butter and jelly together, if this fight is close, it's going to Canelo.
Canelo got the nod in both Golovkin fights that I thought he lost there and beat Erislandy Lara in a fight I scored a draw and many thought Lara won.
The track record is clear- if it's close, Canelo wins.
The co-feature for the Golden Boy card is a bit of a grudge match as social media sensation and lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia faces his first strong opponent in Romero Duno.
Garcia's scheduled September fight was supposed to be his first step up in competition against Avery Sparrow, but Sparrow was arrested the day before the fight.
Romero Duno was on the card and was willing to change his opponent and fight Garcia, who refused to fight Duno despite some pressure from Golden Boy.
Garcia has since signed an extension of his promotional agreement with GBP and reportedly demanded his first fight under the new contract to see Duno as his first opponent.
Garcia is also a stronger opponent than Duno has faced, so for a twelve-round fight without real stakes between two prospects, this is a very interesting fight.
ESPN was supposed to have two world title fights from their provider in Top Rank, but visa problems with Jonathan Rodriguez canceled his challenge of Jerwin Ancajas for the IBF junior bantamweight title held by Ancajas.
The main event is still a good one with Miguel Berchelt defending his WBC junior lightweight title against Jason Sosa.
Berchelt has dominated his opposition since defeating Francisco Vargas to win his title in 2017 and with a victory could make his next defense against former WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez and also has been rumored for over a year as an eventual opponent of Vasyl Lomachenko.
Sosa has been a solid fighter for years and holds a win over Javier Fortuna and a draw against Nicholas Walters when Walters was undefeated and thought to be among the top twenty pounds for pound fighters in the world.
Still, Sosa has failed in his attempts against elite fighters such as Vasyl Lomachenko and lost to a fading Yuriorkis Gamboa, although he did knock Gamboa down and I think Berchelt is just a cut above Sosa.
Fox Sports One will televise a PBC card with the main event pairing junior middleweights Brian Castano and Wale Omotoso.
Castano drew with Erislandy Lara earlier this year in a very entertaining matchup and Omotoso blasted former middleweight title challenger Curtis Stevens in three rounds in August.
Castano appears to be a stronger fighter than Omotoso and despite Omotoso's big punch (22 KOs in 28 wins, he sleepwalked through his previous fight before Stevens in not winning a round against prospect Chordale Booker.
I mentioned Javier Fortuna above in the Jason Sosa blurb and Fortuna fights against Jesus Cuellar in a junior lightweight tilt in the co-main event in a fight that is better than the main event.
Fortuna, who lost a minor title to Jason Sosa in the past, won a decision over Sharif Boguere in February and is the bigger fighter against Cuellar, who was once a minor title claimant at featherweight.
Cuellar has lost two of his last three and has fought only twice since December of 2011.
Style-wise this should be a good mix.
In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 261-225.
WBO Light Heavyweight Title. 12 Rds
Sergey Kovalev vs Canelo Alvarez
R.L: Alvarez Unanimous Decision
TRS: Kovalev Split Decision
Lightweights. 12 Rds
Ryan Garcia vs Romero Duno
R.L: Garcia KO 6
TRS: Duno Unanimous Decision
WBC Junior Lightweight Title. 12 Rds
R.L: Berchelt KO 7
TRS: Berchelt KO 11
Junior Middleweights. 10 Rds
Brian Castano vs Wale Omotoso
Both: Castano Unanimous Decision
Junior Lightweights. 10 Rds
Javier Fortuna vs Jesus Cuellar
Both: Fortuna Unanimous Decision
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