Even without a big fight, it is a busy week for the sport.
Friday, November 16th
Jaron Ennis (21-0, 19 KOs) v Raymond Serrano (24-5, 10 KOs), welterweights & Kenneth Sims Jr (13-1-1, 4 KOs) v Samuel Teah (14-2-1, 7 KOs), junior welterweights & Arnold Khegai (13-0-1, 9 KOs) v Jorge Diaz (19-5-1, 10 KOs), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Showtime, 9:35 PM Eastern
This is literally a ShoBox, but only in name. Jaron “Boots” Ennis is a higher level prospect than the series gets, for one. He is a true blue chipper with star potential already at 21. He’s also being matched softer than ShoBox prospects get matched. Serrano is a normal level opponent for a major prospect at this stage in his career, but that is not the ShoBox mantra. Furthermore, the opener is a bit of a mismatch too with series alumni Arnold Khegai getting a five loss opponent. The middle fight between Sims Jr and Teah is a well matched bout between two multiple fight series veterans, but it also isn’t a typical undefeated prospect versus undefeated prospect ShoBox fight. Finally, in the biggest departure of all from series norms, this one is airing at 9:35 PM Eastern instead of the usual 11 PM timeslot. It is pretty clear here that the premium network wants to showcase Ennis to a wider audience than ShoBox normally draws, but isn’t quite ready to give him a slot on another show. Their nearly (but not technically) exclusive relationship with PBC complicates this decision given that Boots is not a PBC fighter too.
Maurice Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs) v Alex Saucedo (28-0, 18 KOs), WBO junior welterweight title & Egidijus Kavaliauskas (20-0, 16 KOs) v Roberto Arriaza (17-0, 13 KOs), welterweights – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – ESPN, 12 AM Eastern
First, the good. This is a great doubleheader. Maurice Hooker’s surprise domination of Terry Flanagan on the road in the UK was nice story for American fight fans earlier this year. Now he once again goes to hostile territory in Oklahoma City to battle Top Rank emerging action star Alex Saucedo in defense of his title. This is almost guaranteed to be a solid action fight between two unbeaten young fighters with a great crowd. Saucedo likes to war. Given that the main event between “The Mean Machine” and Nicaraguan Roberto Arriaza is also a showdown between legitimately talented undefeated young fighters looking for a title shot, there is absolutely nothing to complain about here. Oh wait, there is one thing. The time. Thanks to the NBA doubleheader on ESPN, this one is pushed to midnight eastern. Yes, that is technically Saturday morning, but it won’t feel like it for fight fans who stay up that late. The ESPN+ prelims start at 6:30 PM Eastern according to their schedule, but that seems too early unless there is something else I’m not understanding here. Dan Rafael has confirmed to me that only the main event will make the ESPN broadcast. Crude but fun brawler Cletus Seldin headlines that portion of the show. I’ll have a full preview on Wednesday or Thursday.
Saturday, November 12th
Jarrell Miller (22-0-1, 19 KOs) v Bogdan Dinu (18-0, 14 KOs), heavyweights & Brandon Rios (34-4-1, 25 KOs) v Ramon Alvarez (27-6-3, 16 KOs) , junior middleweights & Gabriel Rosado (24-11, 14 KOs) v Luis Arias (18-1, 9 KOs), middleweights & Nico Hernandez (5-0, 4 KOs) v Josue Morales (8-7, 3 KOs), flyweights – Mulvane, Kansas – DAZN, 9 PM Eastern
There is a lot of unpack on this Matchroom card (including how it ended up in Kansas) and I’ll get to it more in depth in the full preview in a couple days. Whether or not it is a good show, it headlines Saturday night basically by default. In short, Miller-Dinu is a huge mismatch. Rios-Alvarez is hopefully a mismatch if Brandon has anything left. He has been much, much better than Canelo’s brother over his career. Rosado-Arias is a well matched fight between two guys trying to trying to stay in the top 15 or so at middleweight. Hernandez-Morales is a showcase fight for local star and surprise Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez. Claressa Shields defends her female middleweight titles on the show too. It is not super unusual for a British card to exist on its depth more than a notably compelling main event, and that is the formula power promoter Eddie Hearn is more or less bringing across the Atlantic here. Again, I’ll get far more into all of this on Thursday or Friday.
Diego De La Hoya (21-0, 10 KOs) v Edixon Perez (17-2, 12 KOs), super bantamweights – Mexicali, Mexico – BeIN Sports En Espanol (US), Azteca (MX), 11 PM Eastern
With Golden Boy’s main broadcaster in HBO no longer buying dates and their secondary contract with ESPN expired without renewal, Golden Boy is in a bit of no man’s land until their deal with DAZN kicks in at the start of the new year. Yet, young prospects have to be kept in action. This creative deal with Mexican powerhouse promoter Fernando Beltran at Zanfer lets Diego De La Hoya head home to Mexico to headline a card on Zanfer’s deal with BeIN Sports and Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca. Of course Golden Boy is putting him in real soft given that he isn’t even on one of their cards, but it is good that they are getting Diego time in the ring he really needs before moving him to world title contention in 2019.
