This week in boxing brings an interesting PBC on FS1 Friday night and a jam packed Saturday of action that starts in the UK with a world title doubleheader, peaks with an absolute superfight in Madison Square Garden, and levels off with a fun looking HBO tripleheader.
Friday, December 8th
Ahmed Elbiali (16-0, 13 KOs) v Jean Pascal (31-5-1, 18 KOs), light heavyweights & Bryant Perrella (14-1, 13 KOs v Alex Martin (13-2, 5 KOs), welterweights – Florida – PBC on FS1, 9 PM Eastern
PBC as a shadow promotional company seems to be trying to launch Elbiali here. They have been using him on these FS1 cards for a while now, but to make the Egyptian prospect the first listed fighter against a known name like Jean Pascal is a clear statement of intent. Pascal is faded, but still should represent a good test here. This is a really solid PBC on FS1 main event. Perrella and Martin are well matched on the undercard too.
Saturday, December 9th
James DeGale (23-1-1, 14 KOs) v Caleb Truax (28-3-2, 18 KOs), IBF super middleweight title & Lee Selby (25-1, 9 KOs) v Eduardo Ramirez (20-0-3, 7 KOs), IBF featherweight title & Anthony Yarde (13-0, 12 KOs) v Nikola Sjekloca (32-4-1, 11 KOs), light heavyweights & Daniel Dubois (5-0, 5 KOs) v Dorian Darch (12-5-1, 1 KO), heavyweights – England – Box Nation (UK), Showtime’s Youtube Page, 2:50 PM Eastern
James Degale is coming off an injury and taking a very soft touch here to test out his shoulder. Something would have to go very wrong for Caleb Truax to be competitive with a true world class fighter. Lee Selby is in deceptively tough here, however. I caution anyone sleeping on Eduardo Ramirez to re-evaluate. Top British power punching prospects Anthony Yarde and Daniel Dubois will also be in action with Yarde receiving a minor step up in opposition. Thankfully, Showtime is going to stream this one online for US viewers.
Vasyl Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KOs) v Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs), WBO junior lightweights title & Christopher Diaz (21-0, 13 KOs) v Casey Ramos (24-0-1, 16 KOs), junior lightweights – New York – ESPN, 9 PM Eastern
A lot has been made about Rigondeaux coming up two weight classes for this and being 37, but I don’t care. From an accomplishment and skill perspective, this is an absolute super fight. Seeing a pair of two time Olympic gold medalists and boxing world titleholders in the ring against one another is a true boxing fan’s dream. Not to mention, who else south of lightweight do we think even stands a remote chance against Vasyl Lomachenko at this point? Guillermo Rigondeaux, that is who.
Orlando Salido (44-13-4, 31 KOs) v Miguel Roman (57-12, 44 KOs), junior lightweights & Francisco Vargas (23-1-2, 17 KOs) v Stephen Smith (25-3, 15 KOs), junior lightweights & Tevin Farmer (25-4-1, 5 KOs) v Kenichi Ogawa (22-1, 17 KOs), IBF junior lightweight title – Nevada – HBO, 10:20 PM Eastern
This HBO card promises action from start to finish. Orlando Salido and Miguel Roman have been involved in some absolute wars and there is no reason to think this won’t be more of the same. The same can be said for Francisco Vargas in the co-main event as he is a man who has had a fight of the year candidate with both fighters in the main event. Finally, the opener will crown a new titleholder and launch a player in the division that will instantly be a viable opponent anyone at the top of the division, including the other fighters on the card. This will of course be overshadowed by the super fight happening on ESPN, but it is a fun show anyway.
Eduardo Hernandez (24-0-3, 24 KOs) v Rafael Hernandez (22-8-2, 17 KOs), junior lightweights & Rodrigo Guerrero (25-6-2, 16 KOs) v Salvador Juarez (11-4-2, 3 KOs), bantamweights – Mexico – Televisa
20 year old top Mexican prospect Eduardo Hernandez gets a Televisa main event slot here. He is worth checking out, but this isn’t really a step up at all.
Denis Shafikov (38-3-1, 20 KOs) v Rene Alvarado (27-8, 19 KOs), lightweights & Jaime Munguia (25-0, 21 KOs) v Paul Valenzuela Jr (20-6, 14 KOs), junior middleweights – New York – HBO Latino, 1:00 AM Eastern
Finally, in what are technically the earliest hours of Sunday morning, HBO Latino will be airing a pair of deeper undercard fights from their hours earlier show on tape delay. Why they are doing this exactly I do not know, but Shafikov and Munguia are good, exciting fighters so I am quite glad they are. Stay up for it if you can, but if not record it and then catch these two in the morning.
