Is there anything better than the build up during a major fight week? GGG-Canelo II is here.
Thursday, September 13th
Pablo Cesar Cano (30-7-1, 21 KOs) v Ruslan Madiev (12-0, 5 KOs), junior welterweights – Indio, California – ESPN, 8 PM Eastern
Golden Boy is putting on this Thursday night card on ESPN2 to help promote the weekend’s mega-PPV. The main event is a decent crossroads fight between longtime fringe contender Pablo Cesar Cano and Kazakh prospect Ruslan Madiev. Both men very much need the win. Cano has lost three of four and was wiped away in two by Marcelino Lopez last time out. If he loses, then ever contending again seems unlikely even though he’s only 28. Whereas if Madiev loses to a fringe contender in free fall, his status as a prospect of note will be entirely gone. It’s not a fight with immediate world level implications by any means, but this is good matchmaking for where both these guys are. A female super middleweight title fight between Maricela Cornejo and Franchon Crews Dezurn will be the co-main event. Prelims will air on watchespn.com at 6:30 and include the likes of recent title challenger Horacio Garcia, power punching Ozzy prospect Bilal Akkawy, and Mexican Olympian Raul Curiel.
Friday, September 14th
Jose Ramirez (22-0, 16 KOs) v Antonio Orozco (27-0, 17 KOs), WBC junior welterweight title & Alexander Besputin (10-0, 8 KOs) v Alan Sanchez (20-3-1, 10 KOs), welterweights & Gabriel Flores Jr (9-0, 5 KOs) v Roger Gutierrez (7-1-1, 4 KOs), lightweights – Fresno, California – ESPN, 10 PM Eastern
Top Rank and ESPN remind us they exist on this major fight weekend with an excellent appetizer on Friday night. At least it is an excellent first course if Antonio Orozco can make weight, anyway. The Golden Boy contender has blown multiple big opportunities in his career by missing 140. Him against Ramirez is in theory and outstanding fight between unbeaten top fighters, but it actually has to happen without being tainted by out of the ring issues first. Jose Ramirez will be the favorite in his first defense either way though. If this goes down without issue, I’ll be pretty excited about it. Prospects Alexander Besputin and Gabriel Flores Jr feature on the undercard with Besputin in pretty tough for an eleventh pro fight. ESPN+ prelims start at 7:30 and feature potential main event future challenger Hiroki Okada as well as recent Top Rank signees Bryan Vasquez and Jamel Herring.
Saturday, September 15th
Gennady Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) v Saul Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs), WBA & WBC middleweight titles & David Lemieux (39-4, 33 KOs) v Gary O’Sullivan (28-2, 20 KOs), middleweights & Jaime Munguia (30-0, 25 KOs) v Brandon Cook (20-1, 12 KOs), WBO junior middleweight title & Roman Gonzalez (46-2, 38 KOs) v Moises Fuentes (25-5-1, 14 KOs), super flyweights – Las Vegas, Nevada – HBO PPV, 9 PM Eastern
The gigantic rematch is finally upon us. It is fight week for GGG-Canelo II. The first fight was a good one even though many thought the draw was controversial. There is no reason to expect anything different this go around. I’ll have plenty this week for pre-fight coverage, so I won’t get into much about the main event here. For once we have a damn good lineup leading into the fight too. Lemiuex-O’Sullivan is guaranteed action and a likely knockout. Exciting young titleholder Jaime Munguia makes a defense in the middle and former pound for pound king Chocolatito Gonzalez tries to make one last go of it, returning for the first time since his devastating knockout loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. You can go to the movies and watch this one, order the HBO PPV, or order Golden Boy’s in house broadcast on Ringtv.com. The price tag is high at $85, but if you have a theater nearby you can get a better experience for less.
