Boxing Challenge

   The boxing weekend isn't filled with intriguing matchups but two fighters who may only need a big fight to become stars at the next level are in action on Saturday.

In Philadelphia, Jaron "Boots" Ennis will make the first defense of his IBF welterweight title that Terence Crawford vacated against an opponent that Crawford defeated, David Avanesyan. 

Crawford knocked out Avanesyan in six rounds in December 2022, so it will be interesting to compare Ennis's outing against him with that of Crawford's.

Ennis has been off for a year since his tenth-round stoppage of Roiman Villa and Avanesyan is a somewhat late replacement for Cody Crowley, who was originally the organization's mandatory challenger before failing an eye exam.

The fight will be the first for Ennis with Matchroom Boxing and can be seen on DAZN.

ESPN+ and Top Rank will be in Las Vegas for the first unified title defense for IBF and WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly as he faces a literal unknown in Andrei Mikhailovich. 

Alimkhanuly won his second title (IBF) when he stopped Vincent Gualtieri in six rounds in what may have been the most anonymous title unification fight ever.

Mikhailovich is Russian-born but fights out of New Zealand and has fought no one you have heard of before.

Mikhailovch's one win that stands out is a 2023 fifth-round knockout of Edisson Saltarin, who I've also never heard of but was 16-0 entering the fight in which both fighters were knocked down.

Unless Mikhailovich is much better than I anticipated, this should be another Alimkhanuly showcase bout.

Editor's Note: This fight has been canceled after Alimkhanuly was hospitalized with dehydration.

The co-feature is in the lightweight division with young contender Raymond Muratalla facing former IBF junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer in a ten-rounder.

Muratalla was average in his last fight, winning a unanimous decision over Xolisani Ndongeni while Farmer will be fighting his first contender since losing his title in 2020 to Joseph Diaz.

Farmer has always been a slick boxer but I don't think he has the strength to hold off the larger and stronger Muratalla.

Boxing Challenge

IBF Welterweight Title 12 Rds 

Jaron Ennis vs David Avanesyan

Ramon Malpica: Ennis KO 7
TRS: Ennis KO 4
Vince Samano: Ennis Unanimous Decision

IBF & WBO Middleweight Titles. 12 Rds

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Andrei Mikhailovich

R.L: Alimkhanuly Unanimous Decision
TRS: Alimkhanuly KO 6
V.S: Alimkhanuly KO 8

Lightweights. 10 Rds

Raymond Muratalla vs Tevin Farmer

R.L: and TRS: Muratalla Unanimous Decision

V.S: Farmer Unanimous Decision