Welcome to the doldrums of summer. ESPN again keeps the sport alive with three shows spread out on its family of networks this weekend, but we are talking life support level stuff. We have a Golden Boy on ESPN Friday, a mediocre UK card midday Saturday, and then an uninspiring Zurdo Ramirez defense as our nightcap.
Friday, June 29th
Rashidi Ellis (19-0, 13 KOs) v Alberto Mosquera (25-3-2, 16 KOs), welterweights & Francisco Horta (17-3-1, 10 KOs) v David Reyes (17-3-1, 6 KOs), super bantamweights – Cancun, Mexico – Golden Boy on ESPN, 9 PM Eastern
“Speedy” Rashidi Ellis makes his return on this edition of Golden Boy on ESPN, which should be noted is actual on the main ESPN channel for once. Ellis is a solid, B level prospect looking to make the leap to contender. Golden Boy has lots and lots of these guys in their stable, but Ellis is one of the further along ones as this will be his twentieth pro fight. Recent years don’t suggest Mosquera of Panama will have much to offer in terms of resistance. I know nothing of the fighters in the co-main event. If you’re reading this site, you probably know that is saying something.
Saturday, June 30th
Michael Conlan (7-0, 5 KOs) v Adeilson Dos Santos (19-4, 15 KOs), featherweights & Tyrone McKenna (16-0-1, 6 KOs) v Jack Catterall (21-0, 12 KOs), junior welterweights – Belfast, Northern Ireland – BT Sport (UK) and ESPN+ (US), 2:30 PM Eastern
Top Rank is giving their favorite Irish son a return trip home on a show technically promoted by Frank Warren. Dos Santos is being marketed as a step up opponent. I guess he probably is, but only marginally so. Any time he has been in with a fighter with world level talent, and that is what Conlan is supposed to be, the Brazilian has been handled comfortably. Jack Catterall and Tyrone McKenna is the competitive main event of the show and a decent domestic showdown, though even there I heavily favor Catterall. All in all this isn’t a super compelling show, but it is on ESPN+ at 2:30 PM Eastern if you aren’t doing anything else.
Gilberto Ramirez (37-0, 25 KOs) v Roamer Angulo (23-0, 20 KOs), super middleweights & Alex Saucedo (27-0, 17 KOs) v Leonardo Zappavigna (37-3, 27 KOs), junior welterweights – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Top Rank on ESPN, 9 PM Eastern
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez is a very talented fighter and my top super middleweight, but opponent selection has not exactly been inspiring for the 27 year old. I have covered Roamer Angulo a bit in UTR and he is someone I thought could potentially earn his way to an eliminator or something along those lines, but to be tossed right in at the top of the division is a pretty absurd ask. He only stands a slightly better chance than Ramirez’s last no hope opponent Habib Ahmed from February. Lenny Zappa is a decent test for local hero Alex Saucedo in the co-main event, but it isn’t a fight that is going to do anything to make up for the weak main event. As always with the Top Rank cards, the prelims will be shown in their entirety on ESPN+ beginning at 6:15 PM Eastern. Former top contender Mike Alvarado, Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceicao, and Tommy Morrison’s son Trey Lippe highlight the action on that portion of the show.
