Boxing Challenge

The boxing weekend covers two networks and continents as ESPN+ televises from London and Showtime from Connecticut without both cards without fans as usual.

Showtime's card is in the evening and took a small blow when David Benavidez missed weight by over two pounds and forfeited his WBC super-middleweight title on the scales.
Benavidez has now lost the same championship twice without losing a fight after previously being stripped for failing a drug test.
The fight against Roamer Angulo will go out as scheduled with Angulo being eligible to win the title with a victory and should Benavidez win, as expected, the title will be vacant.
Benavidez remains a prohibitive favorite over the veteran Angulo, but this is a really bad look for a fighter that has already had out of the ring issues.
Benavidez says that he wants to stay at super middleweight but for a fighter his size to have problems with the scale, it might be a better idea to move to 175 pounds.
However, light heavyweight is a division that is dominated by Top Rank for now, so Benavidez may give staying in the division a try.

I'm interested in the lightweight fight on this card as I've been really impressed with Floyd Mayweather protege, Rolando Romero, and Romero faces another undefeated and untested boxer in Jackson Marinez.
Romero is another talented young fighter in the division and could be the show-stealer on this evening.

Heavyweight Otto Wallin returns for the first time since he severely tested Tyson Fury last September.
Wallin cut Fury badly and in a normal fight, may have succeeded in winning via stoppage.
Travis Kauffman hasn't fought since December 2018 in a KO loss to Luis Ortiz and will be a test for Wallin, whose competition has been very weak other than the Fury fight.

ESPN+ and Top Rank's afternoon slate from London features a former champion on his way back and an undefeated contender that continues to prepare for his first true challenge that has yet to arrive.
Former junior featherweight champion Carl Frampton prepares for a potential title opportunity against WBO junior lightweight titleholder Jamel Herring as he takes on late replacement Darren Traynor.
Traynor seems to be the perfect fighter for Frampton to shine against in his junior lightweight debut and Frampton is set to look very strong here.

Michael Conlan continues his march to a featherweight title shot without facing a top twenty level challenge as he faces Sofiane Takoucht of France.
Takoucht was knocked out in two by IBF champion Josh Warrington in two rounds in his last fight and while that seems to be nothing to hold against Takoucht, Warrington had scored only six KOs in twenty-nine wins going into their fight so a loss by stoppage is a detriment.
Conlan is expected to challenge the winner of the Emanuel Navarrete-Jessie Magdaleno fight for the vacant WBO title next year.

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 81-71.

Super Middleweights 12 Rds
David Benavidez vs Roamer Angulo
R.L: Benavidez KO 5
TRS: Benavidez KO 3

Lightweights. 12 Rds
Rolando Romero vs Jackson Marinez
R.L: Romero KO 6
TRS: Romero KO 2

Heavyweights. 10 Rds
Otto Wallin vs Travis Kaufman
Both: Wallin Unanimous Decision

Junior Lightweights. 10 Rds
Carl Frampton vs Darren Traynor
R.L: Frampton KO 8
TRS: Frampton KO 4

Featherweights 10 Rds
Michael Conlan vs Sofiane Takoucht
R.L: Conlan KO 7
TRS: Conlan KO 5