Saturday, November 20, 2021

Boxing Challenge

    The boxing challenge continues with two cards with fighters that have a claim to the dubious honor of the most avoided fighter in boxing and an untelevised fight with the best flyweight that you aren't seeing.

Saturday night's PPV main event from Top Rank/ESPN is the long-awaited top fighter to finally face WBO welterweight champion, Terence Crawford, as former WBC and IBF champion Shawn Porter steps forward to face arguably the best fighter in boxing.

It's been a long time coming for Crawford, who has wanted to face the better names of the division for years and now thanks to the WBO (and give them credit for making the fight as they show what sanctioning bodies can do when they do the right thing), Crawford will get his chance.

Crawford is as skilled as they come and yet isn't a safety-first fighter along with being the best finisher in the game.

The knock on Crawford is his opposition but he has several good fighters on his resume' although not elite ones.

Shawn Porter always brings it to the ring and while many note his controversial win over Yordenis Ugas, his loss to Keith Thurman could have gone to either fighter and his loss to Errol Spence might have been a draw without a late knockdown.

And for all the hype for Crawford vs Errol Spence (Which I want to see as well), Porter may very well give Crawford the best fight of the PBC fighters, and that in no way demeans the skills of Spence or the other PBC contenders (PBC controls most of the best at 147 missing only Crawford, Jaron Ennis, and Vergil Ortiz).

I'm very excited by this fight and I think it's a very good fight both stylistically and technically that will be very influential for the welterweight division over the next year or two.

The undercard will see an IBF middleweight eliminator between former Olympic silver medalist Esquiva Falcao and Patrice Volny.

Falcao is undefeated but has fought weaker competition since turning pro nine years ago faces Canada's Volny, who is in the same situation minus the Olympic medal.

I have no idea what this one will bring but the winner will become the mandatory challenger for IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.

Another middleweight fight on the card pits undefeated Janibek Alimkhanuly against former middleweight minor beltholder and contender Hassan N'Dam.

 Alimkhanuly looked devastating in June when he delivered a beating to former contender Rob Brant in stopping Brant in eight rounds.

N'Dam is dropping back to middleweight after being stopped in three by Callum Smith and then losing a unanimous decision to Fedor Chudinov and is clearly a faded fighter that never had a great chin to start with.

In Kyiv, Ukraine, the top flyweight in the world defends his title as WBA champion Artem Dalakian battles Luis Concepcion, who was the minor titleholder in the WBA  before being stripped as they attempt to eliminate their minor titles.

Dalakian will be making his fifth title defense since winning the title from Brian Viloria in 2018.

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 149-132 (this includes the results from the Friday DAZN show) 

WBO Welterweight Title. 12 Rds 
Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter
Both: Crawford Unanimous Decision

Middleweights 12 Rds
Esquiva Falcao vs Patrice Volny
R.L: Volny KO 8
TRS: Falcao Unanimous Decision

Middleweights 10 Rds
Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Hassan N'Dam
R.L: Alimkhanuly KO 7
TRS: Alimkhanuly KO 4

WBA Flyweight Title. 12 Rda
Artem Dalakian vs Luis Concepcion
Both: Dalakian Unanimous Decision

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