The most intriguing match of proven fighters pits two former world champions in Bang Phun, Thailand as former WBC junior bantamweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai faces former IBF flyweight titlist Amnat Ruenreong in a junior featherweight ten rounder.
Rungvisai returns for the first time since dropping his title to Juan Francisco Estrada last April in the second of their two excellent battles and with his two earlier wins over Roman Gonzalez (one by controversial decision and the rematch by spectacular KO), Rungvisai looks to be in great shape for a third fight against either Estrada or Gonzalez by spring 2021.
Ruenreong has been off since last March and since losing his IBF title to Johnriel Casimero in 2016 has lost two of his five fights, but holds wins over three champions (Kazuto Ioka, Casimero in their first fight and Zou Shiming) as well as a win over perennial contender McWilliams Arroyo.
Rungvisai is the bigger man and the bigger puncher, so Ruenreong will have to outbox Rungvisai, and with the size difference, I'm not sure he is capable of doing that for the ten-round distance.
Showtime returns to boxing with three fights from Uncasville, Connecticut.
The main event has already been changed as Stephen Fulton tested positive for Covid-19 and was forced out of his fight with Angelo Leo for the WBO junior featherweight title recently vacated by Emanuel Navarrete.
The title will be filled as Tramaine Williams was promoted from the co-feature and will take Fulton's place for the vacant title.
Both fighters are undefeated and coming off their biggest wins, Leo's eleventh round KO of Cesar Juarez and Williams's unanimous decision victory over Yenifel Vicente, but unless the victor looks extremely impressive, the new WBO champion will be unlikely to be ranked in the top five of a very competitive division.
The co-feature that Tramaine Williams was promoted from is a title eliminator in the same division, so it was easy to install Williams in the main event and find a replacement in the eliminator.
Ra'esse Aleem was the original opponent for Williams and Aleem will face Marcus Bates in a rematch of their April 2018 match that saw Aleem hand Bates his only defeat.
The 16-0 Aleem looked very impressive in stopping Adam Lopez in four rounds on ShoBox in his last outing and is the strong favorite between his win in their first fight combined with Bates coming into the fight on a few days notice.
The opener is a rematch of light heavyweights Joe George and Marcus Escudero from their ShoBox war last November.
George took the split decision nod to give Escudero his first loss and I thought Escudero deserved the decision, although that was the only quibble that you could find with the action in the ring.
I think Escudero will get his revenge, but the fight could be another slugfest.
In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 73-67.
Junior Featherweights. 10 Rds
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs Amnat Ruenroeng
R.L: Rungvisai KO 7
TRS: Rungvisai KO 6
Vacant WBO Junior Featherweight Title. 12 Rds
Angelo Leo vs Tramaine Williams
R.L: Williams Unanimous Decision
TRS: Leo Unanimous Decision
Junior Featherweights. 12 Rds
Ra'eese Aleem vs Marcus Bates
R.L: Bates Unanimous Decision
TRS: Aleem Unanimous Decision
Light Heavyweights. 10 Rds
Joe George vs Marcus Escudero
R.L: George KO 6
TRS: Escudero Unanimous Decision
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