We didn’t fairly have the headline bonanza of Canelo and Jake Paul drama as we did final week, however we had extra in-ring motion this week and loads of information bits exterior the ring, too.
Let’s go over the week, with some assist from our neighborhood!
Keyshawn goes gold, or no matter steel is on the WBO belt
The largest story is the primary world title victory for Keyshawn Davis, who knocked out Denys Berinchyk on physique photographs on Friday night time to assert the WBO light-weight title.
The construct to Berinchyk vs Keyshawn was fairly gross, whether or not it was respectable, staged, or some third possibility, all issues totally doable, this being boxing and all, and possibly added precisely $0 to the enterprise in the long run.
Followers had been impressed with Davis (13-0, 9 KO), because the one-time blue chipper appears to have actually put all of it collectively, and is wanting just like the elite fighter he was hoped to be. Future fights are beginning to bubble in everybody’s minds, although with the conventional issues for limitations.
Arnold Barboza Jr beats Catterall on the street
We had one other massive combat on Saturday from Manchester, England, the place Arnold Barboza Jr nicked his well beyond Jack Catterall in a gathering of prime 140 lb contenders.
Catterall vs Barboza all the time figured to be way more technical and chess match-like than some thrilling, back-and-forth affair, and, effectively, that’s what we bought. I couldn’t actually discover it uninteresting or disappointing, because it was precisely the combat I anticipated, however in a really fundamental sense, sure, it was sort of a uninteresting combat.
Barboza gained a cut up determination, and I assumed all three judges really scored a decent, aggressive combat very pretty, and that two of them did the truth is get it precisely proper, in that in addition they scored it 115-113 for Barboza, as I had, and clearly I’m all the time proper. By no means had a foul card in my life, me.
The win netted Barboza (32-0, 11 KO) the interim WBO tremendous light-weight title, and in idea a ready shot at Teofimo Lopez, or if not, a ready elevation when Teofimo Lopez vacates or will get stripped.
Value noting that a number of of you probably did disagree with me and simply didn’t suppose the combat was very shut in any respect.
One other massive “Bam” combat on the horizon
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has been one of the thrilling younger stars in boxing during the last couple of years, and it appears like he’s headed into one other massive time combat.
Rodriguez, who holds the WBC tremendous flyweight title, is reportedly negotiating with WBA titleholder Fernando Martinez for a unification. It’s a combat that might pit the highest two guys at 115 lbs, and provides the 25-year-old “Bam” a stern take a look at — a minimum of on paper — in opposition to a fighter who appears nonetheless in prime kind at 33, and who beat the good veteran Kazuto Ioka in his final outing.
Nonetheless, some suppose Rodriguez is ready to dominate Martinez on the fashion matchup. Elsewhere within the division, Phumelela Cafu and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez are additionally reportedly in talks for a title combat.
Extra from this week:
It wasn’t a giant, marquee present, however Oscar Duarte stopped late sub opponent Miguel Madueno in seven blood-filled rounds in Saturday night time’s Golden Boy principal occasion. As promoter Oscar De La Hoya famous, Duarte stopping Madueno means Duarte did one thing that the beforehand talked about Keyshawn Davis didn’t do given 10 rounds to attempt. It doesn’t imply the whole lot, after all, nevertheless it positive doesn’t imply nothing, so far as advertising and marketing and transferring Duarte towards a world title likelihood.
Queensberry Promotions introduced a slate of recent reveals that may kick off their full partnership with DAZN, together with Dillian Whyte vs Joe Joyce from Manchester on April 5. They’ll even have Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wooden in Might, in addition to Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman on one other date that very same month. Joyce is worked up for the possibility to revitalize his profession in opposition to the veteran contender Whyte.
Bruno Surace will rematch Jaime Munguia on Might 3, within the chief help for the Canelo vs Scurll card in Saudi Arabia. You’ll do not forget that Surace scored the 2024 Upset of the 12 months over Munguia on Dec. 14 in Tijuana. Or perhaps you gained’t bear in mind. I don’t know you all personally. This may be your third week as a boxing fan. If that’s the case, whats up and good luck in your journey!
PBC could have a non-PPV Prime Video card on Mar. 22, with Sebastian Fundora lastly returning to defend his 154 lb titles in opposition to Chordale Booker.
Zaur Abdullaev and Raymond Muratalla look more likely to meet for an interim belt at 135 on Might 10 in San Diego.
After a surprisingly aggressive first combat, William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer will rematch on Mar. 29 in Cancun. The highest lightweights are fairly busy, and Zepeda will hope to do higher in opposition to Farmer’s fashion in a second go. The primary combat was a great one and there’s nothing actually higher for Zepeda to do proper now, plus there’s clearly some danger there, it’s a high-quality combat to make.
Daniel Dubois has a lot on his plate with Joseph Parker on Feb. 22, however promoter Frank Warren already has his eye on a possible rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
The massive Feb. 22 Riyadh Season card, headlined by the Beterbiev vs Bivol rematch, is sort of right here! That’ll be our massive subject subsequent week, clearly. The primary eventers have been fairly low-key, which is regular for each of them, however we’ve heard some ideas this week from Vergil Ortiz Jr (who is ready to face Israil Madrimov) and Joseph Parker, who himself is maybe a win away from going through Oleksandr Usyk, if he can beat Daniel Dubois and proceed what has actually been a career-best run.
Former featherweight titlist Luis Alberto Lopez will begin his comeback path on Mar. 29 in Mexico.
High prospect Ben Whittaker will get his first professional principal occasion in an Apr. 20 rematch with Liam Cameron, an unimaginable flip of occasions. Could be the first time a prime prospect has stunk so unhealthy in a routine step up the ladder that the rematch turns into that man’s first principal occasion.
Edgar Berlanga will combat on the Austin Williams vs Patrice Volny undercard on Mar. 15 at that venue in Orlando the place CBS Sports activities Community used to run reveals. Boy, that’s a hell of a dip from headlining a pay-per-view with Canelo Alvarez, huh? Actually makes ya suppose.
