Saturday, August 3, 2024

Boxing Challenge

   Riyadh Season comes to America with a spectacular card from Los Angeles along with several important fights from various promoters.

The main event will see welterweight champion Terence Crawford move to junior middleweight to attempt to win the WBA title held by Israil Madrimov.

Crawford hasn't fought since his virtuoso performance last summer against Errol Spence and Madrimov is far from a pushover and holds an impressive amateur background.

Madrimov won the vacant title in Riyadh with an impressive stoppage over unbeaten Magomed Kurbanov and is the naturally larger man.

I think Madrimov is going to push Crawford a bit but I think Crawford pulls away late and wins a close fight.

The other title at stake will be the WBA junior welterweight title held by Isaac Cruz, who defends against Jose Valenzuela in a bout provided by PBC.

Cruz steamrolled Rolando Romero to win the title in eight rounds last March and is a very popular fighter in Southern California.

Valenzuela avenged a controversial decision loss to Chris Colbert with a vicious sixth-round knockout last December and the styles should match up well for an exciting fight that is likely to end early.

The heavyweight division presents two interesting battles that should see the victors move up the ratings and set themselves up for bigger future fights.

Former three-title champion Andy Ruiz returns after almost two years away against Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller in a pairing of talented big men that often are too big for their own good.

Ruiz decisioned Luis Ortiz in September 2022 and Miller was knocked out by Daniel DuBois in the tenth and final round last December in suffering his first loss.

Both fighters have fast hands for men their size and it may come down to which man is in the better condition.

Unbeaten Jared Anderson faces his best opponent in dangerous Martin Bakole in a ten-rounder.

Anderson takes a huge leap in the caliber of opponent after a dreadfully dull win over Ryad Merhy in April.

Bakole impressively knocked out veteran Carlos Takam in four rounds last October and is a live dog against Anderson, who was rocked badly against his best previous opponent Charles Martin.

David Morrell moves to the light heavyweight division for a minor title against Radivoje Kalajdzic.

Morrell has been very impressive in his ten wins but never beat a true top ten contender at 168 pounds, so as good as he appears and he may be VERY good, we still don't know what happens when someone fights back.

Kalajdzic's two losses are excusable, an eight-round split decision loss to Marcus Browne that I thought he deserved, and a knockout loss to Artur Beterbiev in a title challenge.

The card opens with former Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz battling veteran Antonio Moran in a lightweight ten-rounder.

Cruz is unbeaten in his three fights and has the talent to burn while Moran has been stopped only once in his six losses ( a one-round stoppage against Devin Haney) and defeated Romero Duno in January, stopping Duno in six rounds.

Moran is as tough as they come and if Cruz can end this one early, it will be a strong victory.

Boxing Challenge

WBA Junior Middleweight Title 12 Rds
Israil Madrimov vs Terence Crawford
R.L and TRS: Crawford Unanimous Decision
V.S:  Crawford KO 7

WBA Junior Welterweight Title. 12 Rds
Isaac Cruz vs Jose Valenzuela
R.L: Cruz Unanimous Decision
TRS: Cruz KO 4
V.S: Valenzuela Split Decision

Heavyweights 12 Rds
Andy Ruiz vs Jarrell Miller
R.L and V.S: Miller KO 9
TRS: Ruiz Unanimous Decision

Heavyweights. 10 Rds
Jared Anderson vs Martin Bakole
R.L: Anderson KO 5
TRS: Anderson Split Decision
V.S: Bakole Unanimous Decision

Light Heavyweights. 12 Rds
David Morrell vs Radivoje Kalajdzic.
R.L: Morrell KO 10
TRS: Morrell KO 5
V.S: Morrell KO 4

Lightweights 10 Rds
Andy Cruz vs Antonio Moran
R.L and TRS: Cruz Unanimous Decision
V.S: Moran Unanimous Decision 

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