The final use of the Top Rank "bubble" in Las Vegas (so Bob Arum says anyway) with Miguel Berchelt defending his WBC junior lightweight title against former WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez should be a back and forth battle in an all-Mexican skirmish that has fans and media comparing this to the great Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales fights of the past.
The two fighters styles look like they will mesh very well and should have many action exchanges, but the unbeaten Valdez, who vacated his WBO featherweight title to move up, hasn't seemed to be the same fighter since breaking his jaw in a unanimous decision win over Scott Quigg in March 2018.
I give Berchelt the edge as he is the naturally larger fighter and the bigger puncher, but keep in mind that Berchelt's only loss in March 2014, Berchelt was knocked out in ninety-nine seconds by Luis Florez, and that adds an extra element to a very intriguing fight.
The co-main event will see Top Rank's touted prospect Gabe Flores step up in competition against former world title challenger Jayson Velez in a ten-round junior lightweight fight.
The 19-0 Flores has dazzled his opponents but has stopped only six and the durable Velez lasted ten rounds before being stopped in the final round last summer against Oscar Valdez, so Flores will need to show more pop than he has shown recently if he wants to post an impressive win.
Showtime and the PBC will televise a three bout slate at the same time as the ESPN card (Thanks again, guys) that is interesting for various reasons, not all for competitive boxing.
The main event is, Ahem, the return of Adrien Broner from a two-year absence after a lopsided loss to Manny Pacquiao that he really didn't deserve then.
Broner, who showed sublime skills as a lightweight, good skills in the junior lightweight division, and average talents against the best welterweights, promised to be in shape and make the contracted 140-pound junior welterweight limit.
In a less than shocking development. the fight became a welterweight bout against enhancement opponent Jovanie Santiago a week before the matchup when Broner couldn't make the junior welterweight limit.
The unheralded Santiago has never fought outside Puerto Rico or his native Dominican Republic or defeated anyone of note, although he did knock out unbeaten Juan Zegarra in December in one round.
Broner, who has the same tired story in all of these "comebacks" to the point of having me consider changing the name of the "Zabbies" for fighters that I'm tired of seeing and hearing the same story (Zab Judah would at least occasionally show brilliance over his career) to the "Bronies", seems to have little future against strong opponents other than as an occasional sidehow.
Keep in mind, Broner hasn't won a fight in four years (and that was a split decision over Adrian Granados that could have gone to either fighter), hasn't won impressively in close to five years (stopping aging Ashley Theophane in April 2016), and doesn't have a win over a top fighter in his prime going all the way back to his lightweight days over Antonio DeMarco in 2012!
That's what you are buying with Adrien Broner.
The undercard is where the value is with heavyweights Otto Wallin facing Dominic Breazeale in a crossroads fight that could see the winner muscle their way into a fight against the two notable PBC heavyweights in former champions Deontay Wilder or Andy Ruiz.
Wallin showed the potential to be a top ten level contender in his test against Tyson Fury when he gave Fury that he wanted and looked strong in his return fight against fringe contender Travis Kauffman, but in a career filled with lesser opponents, Breazeale will be the second best opponent for Wallin.
Breazeale, who has been stopped in both of his title challenges to Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, hasn't fought in close to two years in his spectacular one round loss to Wilder and has shown a soft chin, but against competition below the top level has shown guts and heart.
The questions here are what does Breazelae have left and how good is Wallin?
The opener is former IBF lightweight champion Robert Easter in a junior welterweight fight against Ryan Martin in another intriguing crossroads pairing.
Easter decisioned Adrian Granados in his last fight after a dreadful draw against Rances Barthelelmy in his first fight in the 140 pound division while Martin was once a bright prospect, but was pushed into the World Boxing Super Series before he was ready and was dispatched in seven rounds by Josh Taylor.
Both fighters have questions to answer and while I'm not sure the styles will mesh well for a action fight, the winner will move up the rankings in the division and should the Josh Taylor-Jose Ramirez winner vacate all four of the titles, the winner could be in position to pick up one of those championships.
Matchroom and DAZN will have an oft-canceled welterweight fight that will finally take place after being postponed about twelve times between David Avanesyan and Josh "Machine Gun" Kelly from London Saturday afternoon.
Kelly was a touted former Olympian, who looked spectacular in his first nine fights, but struggled to a majority decision draw against Ray Robinson in 2019 in what was expected to be his American coming out party at Madison Square Garden and didn't look spectacular in a decision win in his last fight against Wiston Campos in December 2019.
Avanesyan is best remembered for defeating Shane Mosley in what proved to be Mosley's final fight and holding one of those WBA minor titles, but other than the Mosley win has lost in both of his fights against world class fighters- losing a decision to Lamont Peterson and being stopped in six by Egid Kavaliakauskas.
An impressive Kelly win and Kelly could start popping up in rankings for potential title eliminators.
An Avanesyan win could get him moving up the rankings as well, and into a position as an optional title challenger at some point.
In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 10-8.
Both: Easter Unanimous Decision
No comments:
Post a Comment