Lightweight unification headlines the docket this week as Mikey Garcia and Robert Easter Jr both bring a belt to the dance on Showtime. We also have a Top Rank show on ESPN+ featuring a vacant title fight and a meaningful heavyweight showdown in the UK. Saturday is a full day for the sport.
Saturday, July 28th
Dillian Whyte (23-1, 17 KOs) v Joseph Parker (24-1, 18 KOs), heavyweights & Dereck Chisora (28-8, 20 KOs) v Carlos Takam (35-4-1, 27 KOs), heavyweights – London, England – Sky Box Office (UK), 1 PM Eastern
What’s this? A matchup of top heavyweight contenders without a title on the line? Sign me up. This is just plain old good matchmaking. The winner’s career will be set up for a huge fight in his near future while the loser will largely be back to the drawing board. The only real concern here is that Joseph Parker has not exactly been fighting with an exciting style, but Whyte normally does and he must know he needs to make an impression here. Derek Chisora steps back up to meet Carlos Takam in the co-main event. We’ll see if that is a step too far. I think it might be. No legal US outlet for this one yet unfortunately though, but you probably know what to do with that by now. Also in action on the show are the likes of popular rising female star Katie Taylor, top prospects in Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Fowler, and more.
Christopher Diaz (23-0, 15 KOs) v Masayuki Ito (23-1, 12 KOs), WBO junior lightweight title & Gabriel Bracero (24-3-1, 5 KOs) v Artemio Reyes (25-2, 20 KOs), welterweights – Kissimmee, Florida – ESPN+, 8:30 PM Eastern
Top Rank brings a vacant WBO world title bout to ESPN+ on Saturday night. Puerto Rican contender Christopher Diaz is a real potential top talent in my view. Top Rank has been surprisingly quiet with him, but he gets his chance to break out here. Stylistically Japanese contender Masayuki Ito is a good matchup for him too. Together they are likely to put on a fan friendly contest that Diaz will almost certainly win. The co-main event here is a bummer for this slot on a Top Rank show, but it is likely well matched if a little irrelevant. It isn’t Top Rank’s fault, anyway, as top Dominican prospect Carlos Adames was supposed to be featured against Reyes but pulled out late. The prelim broadcast starts at 6:30 PM Eastern here is well. Olympic silver medalist Esquiva Falcao of Brazil and various prospects including US Olympian Antonio Vargas will be in action on that portion of the bill.
Mikey Garcia (38-0, 30 KOs) v Robert Easter Jr (21-0, 14 KOs), WBC & IBF welterweight titles & Luis Ortiz (28-1, 24 KOs) v Razvan Cojanu (16-3, 9 KOs), heavyweights & Mario Barrios (21-0, 13 KOs) v Jose Roman (24-2-1, 16 KOs), junior welterweights – Los Angeles, California – Showtime, 10 PM Eastern
This card is a real mixed bag. On one hand, Mikey Garcia versus Robert Easter Jr is a true, two belt lightweight unification contest between two unbeaten fighters. That’s great. On the other, I don’t necessarily expect it to be competitive. Garcia is one of the top few pound for pound guys in boxing while Easter has really struggled against lesser opponents. The 27 year old will have a size advantage in there though at the very least. Plus, getting the chance to watch Mikey ply his trade is always a pleasure. This undercard is a hot bag of steaming garbage though. Razvan Cojanu is a reasonable comeback and get well opponent for Luis Ortiz following such a devastating first loss, but it is a horrific Showtime co-main event. Opening the show is Mario Barrios, a prospect that PBC insists on showcasing but refuses to match even on the normal prospect level for where he is at in his career. Here Barrios, on Showtime, is meeting a regional fighter coming off a wide decision loss to a journeyman. This is an awful, awful Showtime fight when compared to the great stuff they usually put out with PBC. Before show Showtime will be streaming fights on their social media page featuring Fabio Maidana, brother to Marcos and a nice young fighter in his own right, and US Olympian Karlos Balderas in separate fights. That’s worth checking out if you aren’t watching the ESPN+ show at the same time.
