Golden Boy has just announced that they will be staging a Golden Boy on ESPN card the night before their major middleweight PPV. Headlining that show will be a secondary featherweight title fight between Claudio Marrero and Jesus M Rojas, both of whom are on hot streaks. Rashidi Ellis will be in the co-feature.
Golden Boy’s original press release indicated that Claudio Marrero (22-1, 16 KOs) and Jesus M Rojas (25-1-2, 18 KOs) were set to meet on the Golovkin/Canelo card, but before the PPV started. When reporting this I expressed dissatisfaction towards missing out on a good fight. I also expressed hope that a way to watch the fight would manifest itself. Just a few hours later, here we are. You’re welcome.
Joking aside, this is a good fight. It is one of the better main events Golden Boy has put on its ESPN2 cards. Claudio Marrero has won eight straight since his competitive loss to Jesus Cuellar a couple years ago. Rojas is unbeaten since 2008. Neither of them have been facing world class competition, but they both have been meeting solid fighters. I have Marrero tenth in the division and Rojas thirteenth.
The co main event will feature unbeaten Golden Boy welterweight prospect Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis (18-0, 12 KOs) in somewhat soft against Juan Carlos Abreu (19-3-1, 18 KOs). 19 year old lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia (10-0, 9 KOs) will open the show.
