The biggest fight of the weekend is on pay-per-view from the surprise winner of the purse bid, MARV Sports as one of the three junior welterweight championships that have been vacated by Josh Taylor will have a new titleholder as former WBA champion Regis Prograis faces longtime contender Jose Zepeda in Carson, California.
Prograis has only one loss, a close majority decision defeat to Taylor in 2019 that cost him the WBA title in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series, and has fought only three times since against limited competition.
Zepeda has lost in both of his title challenges, losing to Terry Flanagan for the vacant WBO lightweight title in 2015 when Zepeda separated his shoulder in the second round and losing a majority decision to Jose Ramirez in a 2019 try for the WBC junior welterweight strap, that many thought Zepeda deserved the victory.
Since the Ramirez loss, Zepeda has won six straight fights including a win over Jose Pedraza, destroying once-touted prospect Josue Vargas in one round, and the classic 2020 fight of the year against Ivan Baranchyk that saw the two fighters combine for eight knockdowns with Zepeda ending the fight in the fifth with a spectacular KO.
On paper, this should be a terrific fight with both fighters having their share of supporters but I wouldn't be surprised if Prograis dominates this fight.
Prograis is the bigger puncher and who knows how much the Baranchyk fights have taken out of Zepeda?
I've underestimated Zepeda before and I would not be surprised to see him do it again but this feels like Prograis to me.
The co-feature will pit 2016 Olympian Charles Conwell and veteran Juan Carlos Abreu in a WBC junior middleweight eliminator.
It's a lower-level eliminator but a needed one for the very talented and underexposed Conwell, who I think only needs an opportunity and a platform to display just how good he could be.
Abreu has failed in each attempt to step up to title contention but he has only been stopped once in his six defeats, to Jaron "Boots" Ennis which is far from a black mark on a career, so should Conwell score a stoppage, it would be an impressive performance.
The remainder of the challenge is fought in England from two cards, two promoters, and two networks on Saturday afternoon.
ESPN Plus and Frank Warren promotions have a WBO minor Super Middleweight title that could eventually result in a few ripples in the 168-pound division as undefeated prospect Zach Parker will face rugged warhorse, John Ryder.
Parker has fought veterans and trial horses but will be in his first fight against a top-ten opponent.
The mauling Ryder is entering the fight after a split-decision victory over Daniel Jacobs that was somewhat controversial (I scored Jacobs a close winner) although the best win of his career.
Ryder made his name a few years in a title bid against Callum Smith that he lost a decision that I thought he should have been given.
The winner not only adds a belt to their trophy case but eventually could be the opponent for Canelo Alvarez, should Canelo ever follow through on his occasional comments on wanting to appear once in the United Kingdom.
On DAZN, Eddie Hearn's Matchroom promotion will match heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte against undefeated American Jermaine Franklin in a twelve-rounder that will try to add some shine to Whyte after his knockout loss to Tyson Fury.
Whyte is still clearly a top-five to top-ten level contender in the division despite being knocked out in two of his last three fights to Fury and Alexander Povetkin but needs a win to keep him in that range.
Whyte generally makes exciting fights and I could see Whyte having a career like his rival Dereck Chisora, where he never has problems getting fights even as he drops a level for that reason.
As for Franklin, at one time he was thought to be the best of the young American heavyweights but he has fought only one time in the last three years and that was against 20-21 (Record not year!) Rodney Moore and his best win is a decision over veteran Jerry Forrest, so even a somewhat damaged Whyte is easily the best opponent that Franklin has fought.
A Franklin win would send him jumping up the ratings and might have him in a bigger fight next year.
Boxing Challenge
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