It's an eliminator at lightweight for the WBA but the meeting between two undefeated prospects on the verge of becoming championship caliber between Michel Rivera and Frank Martin means perhaps even more than a mere eliminator- it could mean the next generation's next divisional star in the next year or so.
Michel Rivera appears to be the bigger puncher against Frank Martin, who is a smooth boxer that is managed by the three-title welterweight champion Errol Spence.
A southpaw, Martin enters this fight with two very impressive wins over two former fringe contenders, winning a dominant decision over Jackson Marinez and a fourth-round KO of Romero Duno while Rivera has won three decisions in a row since his spectacular eighth-round knockout of Jon Fernandez on Showtime in 2021.
I could see either fighter winning but I lean toward Martin, who seems a little more versatile and might have a bit too much slickness for Rivera.
The co-feature will pit former IBF super middleweight champion Jose Uzcategui against undefeated Vladimir Shishkin in an IBF eliminator.
Uzcategui was once the fighter in the division that no one wanted to face before dropping his title to Caleb Plant by decision in 2019.
Since then, Uzcategui has lost a decision to journeyman Lionel Thompson, has popped for PEDs that ruined a planned fight against David Benavidez, and has three wins over fighters with records of 20-28, 9-4, and 21-19, so those three years since losing his title haven't been good ones for the former champion.
The undefeated Shishkin has struggled to find fights, having fought only thirteen times in his six years as a professional.
Shishkin does hold a win over Sena Agbeko, who is a solid fighter, and a win over former fringe contender DeAndre Ware as his top victories.
If Uzcategui has anything left after a rough few years, this would be the biggest test of Shishkin's career but I'm not sure that is the case and I think Shishkin outboxes Uzcategui in what could be a dull affair.
Boxing Challenge
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