Friday, September 15, 2023

Boxing Challenge

 The boxing challenge will be spread out over three days this week with bouts on Friday, Saturday, and Monday morning with three world titles and a top contender in action. 

Friday night on ESPN will be in Corpus Christi, Texas for Luis Alberto Lopez's defense of his IBF featherweight title against Joet Gonzalez.

Lopez won his world title on the road in England with a majority decision win over Josh Warrington in 2002 and defended it in May with another road victory, stopping Michael Conlan in the fifth round in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Gonzalez won his first twenty-three fights before being dominated by Shakur Stevenson in 2019 for the vacant WBO featherweight title and again by Emmanuel Navarrete in 2021 for the same title.

Both losses were by unanimous decision, so Gonzalez's chin is steady and his exciting 2022 split decision loss to Isaac Dogboe could have been given to either man but Gonzalez might be in his last try for a world title as he only has a decision win over Enrique Vivas in April since losing to Dogboe.

Saturday night, Golden Boy and DAZN are in Commerce, California with their exciting lightweight contender William Zepeda as he battles veteran Mercito Gesta in a twelve-rounder.

Both men have decisioned former junior lightweight champion Joseph Diaz in the last year but Zepeda looks to be a possible star and at least a top-notch action fighter at worst.

Gesta's win over Diaz was his second win in his two-fight comeback after taking three years off from boxing and while Gesta is a solid underdog, he is expected to make Zepeda work for the win and it should be an action fight.

ESPN+ takes back the spotlight Monday morning from Tokyo with two world title fights.

In the main event, Kenshiro Teraji will defend his WBA and WBC junior flyweight titles against former strawweight and WBA and IBF light flyweight king Hekkie Budler of South Africa.

Teraji has looked unstoppable in his three fights since his only loss to Masamichi Yabuki, which he immediately avenged with a third-round knockout to regain the WBC title that he lost to Yabuki.

Teraji then added the WBA title of countryman Hiroto Kyoguchi when Terajo stopped Kyoguchi in seven and Budler accepted a payment to step aside so Teraji could attempt to add another title in a unification fight against WBO boss Jonathan Gonzalez in April.

Gonzalez dropped out with an illness and Terajo stopped late replacement Anthony Olascuaga in nine rounds. 

Budler has won three straight since losing his titles to Hiroto Kyoguchi by tenth-round knockout in 2018 with the biggest win over former WBO champion Elwin Soto in Soto's native Mexico.

The co-feature will pit Junto Nakatani in the first defense of his WBO junior bantamweight title against Argi Cortes.

Nakatani defended the WBO flyweight title twice before moving up to win the vacant junior bantamweight title with a final-round knockout over a game Andrew Moloney of Australia to stamp him as a star on American television.

Cortes is best known for his surprisingly tough effort against Juan Francisco Estrada in losing a unanimous decision last year.

Boxing Challenge

IBF Featherweight Title. 12 Rds 
Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez
Ramon Malpica; Lopez KO 10
TRS: Lopez KO 6
Vince Samano: Lopez KO 8

Lightweights. 12 Rds
William Zepeda vs. Mercito Gesta
R.L:  Zepeda KO 9
TRS and V.S: Zepeda Unanimous Decision

WBA/WBC Light Flyweight Titles. 12 Rds
Kenshiro Teraji vs. Hekkie Budler
R.L: Teraji Unanimous Decision
TRS: Teraji KO 11
V.S: Teraji KO 7

WBO Junior Bantamweight Title. 12 Rds
Junto Nakatani vs. Argi Cortes
R.L: Nakatani KO 6
TRS: Nakatani KO 10
V.S: Nakatani KO 8




 

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