The most anticipated, non-freak show fight of the year is upon us. Saturday night in Las Vegas, Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez will finally meet for middleweight supremacy. The week is even more loaded than just that PPV, however, as it features two significant cards in the UK, title fights in Asia, and a good Golden Boy on ESPN as well. This is one of the best and busiest weeks for the sport in some time.
Wednesday, September 13th
Yukinori Oguni (19-1-1, 7 KOs) v Ryosuke Iwasa (23-2, 15 KOs), IBF super bantamweight title & Kosei Tanaka (9-0, 5 KOs) v Palangpol CP Freshmart (14-1, 8 KOs), WBO light flyweight title – Japan
Oguni and especially Tanaka are talented fighters in pretty easy defenses here at home. Oguni is basically taking a victory lap defense here following his upset belt snatching from Jonathan Guzman on New Year’s Eve while Freshmart is a step down for the supremely talented Tanaka after his last two fights. Not great stuff, but world title fights nonetheless.
Friday, September 15th
Claudio Marrero (22-1, 16 KOs) v Jesus M Rojas (25-1-2, 18 KOs), featherweights & Rashidi Ellis (18-0, 12 KOs) v Juan Carlos Abreu (19-3-1, 18 KOs), welterweights – Nevada – Golden Boy on ESPN – ESPN2, 9 PM Eastern
For my money this is the best Golden Boy on ESPN main event to date. Marrero and Rojas are both contenders just outside the top level of featherweight and will be fighting for Marrero’s secondary WBA belt as well. Ellis is matched to win here after struggling last time out, but Abreu is a live dog and a real puncher so you never really know for sure.
Saturday, September 16th
Milan Melindo (36-2, 13 KOs) v Hekkie Budler (31-2, 10 KOs), IBF light flyweight title & John Riel Casimero (24-3, 15 KOs) v Jonas Sultan (13-3, 9 KOs), IBF super flyweight eliminator – Philippines
Filipino Milan Melindo will be making his first title defense against former minimumweight titleholder Hekkie Budler of South Africa. Former two division titlist and all around elite fighter John Riel Casimero is throwing his name up in the financially loaded hat of the super flyweight division on the undercard in an IBF eliminator for a shot at Jerwin Ancajas. Don’t be fooled by Sultan’s pedestrian record, however, as he can fight. Casimero is rightfully the heavy favorite still though
Callum Smith (22-0, 17 KOs) v Erik Skoglund (26-0, 12 KOs), WBSS super middleweight quarterfinal – England – ITV, 2:45 PM Eastern
The super middleweight half of the World Boxing Super Series launches here in direct competition with Saunders’s card. Smith has long been considered one of the better prospects in the sport while Skoglund, who is dropping from light heavyweight here, has been more under the radar. This is a step up for both of them a real good fight. Martin Murray fights on the undercard.
Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) v Willie Monroe Jr (21-2, 6 KOs), WBO middleweight title – England – BT Sport, 3:30 PM Eastern
The missing piece of the GGG/Canelo middleweight belt puzzle is on the line on the same day in the UK. This card has lost some of its luster in direct competition with the WBSS show, but Monroe is a decent boxer who is capable of winning rounds. He might just freeze up under the spotlight though. Anthony Yard and Daniel DuBois are on the undercard.
Gennady Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) v Canelo Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs), WBA, WBC, IBF middleweight titles & Joseph Diaz (24-0, 13 KOs) v Jorge Lara (29-0-2, 21 KOs), WBC featherweight eliminator & Randy Caballero (24-0, 14 KOs) v Diego De La Hoya (19-0, 9 KOs), super bantamweights & Ryan Martin (19-0, 11 KOs) v Francisco Rojo (20-2, 13 KOs), lightweights Nevada – HBO PPV, 8 PM Eastern
At long last, the fight is here. GGG and Canelo need no introduction as their match has been a fight that has been brewing for years. The winner will be the clear middleweight champion even if Saunders is holding a belt hostage. For a PPV undercard, this is a good one too. Both Diaz/Lara and Caballero/De La Hoya are young fighters getting real tests against one another. Diaz/Lara is cross promotional with Jorge Lara being a PBC fighter and a title eliminator to boot. The Martin/Rojo opener is garbage, but the other two happily outweigh it.
