This Week In Boxing: September 13–16
The biggest fight in boxing is here as Canelo Alvarez challenges Gennady Golovkin for the middleweight crown
Wednesday September 13, 2017
From Edion Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
🏅Kosei Tanaka 9–0 (5 KOs) vs Rangsan Chayanram 14–1 (8 KOs)
12 rounds
WBO world light flyweight title
Kazuto Ioka ushered in a new era for Japanese prospects when he raced toward a world title and ultimately captured one early in his career. Naoya Inoue took the blueprint and destroyed it by not only winning a title, but emerging as one of the best fighters in all of boxing. Kosei Tanaka is on the same route.
Tanaka did capture a world title early and has continually challenged himself going forward, but there is a difference. Ioka and Inoue showed power early on. When given opponents they were supposed to beat, they demolished them. Tanaka lacks the defensive skill to properly dominate fighters and it’s shown in fights where he’s been dropped or had to come from behind. Even his first world title win was controversial.
Tanaka has picked things up over his last several fights, but he’s still got work to do to get into the Inoue category.
Rangsan Chayanram will be entering the biggest fight of his career. He was knocked out in his pro debut, but has recovered nicely going undefeated since then. Tanaka shouldn’t have too much trouble if he can avoid standing in the center and trading for 12 rounds.
🏅Yukinori Oguni 19–1–1 (7 KOs) vs Ryosuke Iwasa 23–2 (15 KOs)
12 rounds
IBF world super bantamweight title
Either Yukinori Oguni made tremendous changes to his approach to boxing or he caught Jonathan Guzman on the right day because this was not the fight we were supposed to get. Yukinori Oguni was a beatable opponent for an absolute monster of a fighter in Jonathan Guzman on paper. The result, however, was an Oguni unanimous decision that was as suprising as it was confusing. How did a guy who lost to Shingo Wake just take a title from the guy that had the best shot (which was a sliver of hope) at beating Guillermo Rigondeaux?
Now Oguni will face Iwasa in a well deserved domestic meeting for his first defense. On paper, this is a winnable fight for Oguni.
Friday September 15, 2017
From MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom, Las Vegas, Nevada
Time: 6:00 PM PDT, 9:00 PM EDT, 2:00 AM BST
TV: ESPN Deportes (US)
🏅Claudio Marrero 22–1 (16 KOs) vs Jesus M Rojas 25–1–2 (18 KOs)
12 rounds
interim WBA world featherweight title
This is a meeting of two fighters who pulled off upsets in their last fight. Marrero stopped Carlos Zambrano in the opening round of their fight while Rojas won a decision over undefeated prospect Abraham Lopez.
Rojas is a better than advertised. He was in an even fight with Jorge Lara (who we will discuss later) and has plowed through very good opposition recently. Marrero may have impressed with that nice first round knockout, but Rojas has shown more skill over his career.
Rashidi Ellis 18–0 (12 KOs) vs Juan Carlos Abreu 19–3–1 (18 KOs)
10 rounds
welterweight division
This is a winnable fight for Ellis and a step up in competition for him. All he’ll need to do is figure out the tricky timing of Abreu and avoid getting caught with anything big.
From Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut
Ievgen Khytrov 14–1 (12 KOs) vs Derrick Findley 27–21–1 (18 KOs)
8 rounds
middleweight division
Khytrov returns after his upset loss to Immanuwel Aleem. Khytrov needs to transform his style very quickly and bring back some of the elements that made him a standout amateur. Otherwise, this is the level he’s going to be stuck at. A guy capable of beating journeyman, but unable to compete against anything above that.
Saturday September 16, 2017
From Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines
🏅Milan Melindo 36–2 (13 KOs) vs Hekkie Budler 31–2 (10 KOs)
12 rounds
IBF world light flyweight title
The tenacity of Filipino fighters is something to behold. Milan Melindo once challenged Juan Francisco Estrada and was thoroughly beaten on HBO. He kept trekking and now he’s a world champion at light flyweight.
This is a surprisingly even fight. Both are 29 and have had long careers full of fights going the distance.
John Riel Casimero 24–3 (15 KOs) vs Jonas Sultan 13–3 (9 KOs)
12 rounds
super flyweight division
As if the super flyweight division wasn’t already packed to the brim with talent, John Riel Casimero will move up from flyweight and make his official entry into the 115 pound division. Casimero is tricky fighter. He not only outboxed Amnat Ruenroeng, but also figured how how exactly to hurt him and take judges out of the equation. He’s been on a tear in recent memory and he’s got about 2 good years at 115 before age starts to kick in.
From AKKO International, Kiev, Ukraine
Viktor Postol 28–1 (12 KOs) vs Jamshidbek Najmiddinov 14–0 (9 KOs)
10 rounds
super lightweight division
After more than a year out of the ring, Viktor Postol returns.
From Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hackney Wick, London, United Kingdom
Time: 11:00 AM PDT, 2:00 PM EDT, 7:00 PM BST
TV: BT Sport (UK)
🏅Billy Joe Saunders 24–0 (12 KOs) vs Willie Monroe Jr 21–2 (6 KOs)
12 rounds
WBO world middleweight title
Billy Joe Saunders continues his now shockingly long reign as a middleweight title holder. Injuries and an unwillingness to work things out at the negotiating table by Saunders and his team have left him a with a near 2 year reign and very little to show for it.
This isn’t to suggest that Saunders isn’t good. That would be irresponsible to say because despite weight issues and the occasional early gassing, Saunders has been an excellent fighter. He has a solid amateur background and his resume prior to capturing a world title was second to none when it came to how prospects are typically brought up.
Monroe on paper poses an interesting problem for Saunders. He’s mobile and slick; something that Saunders hasn’t come across fighting exclusively in the UK. He went 6 rounds with Gennady Golovkin where at times he looked surprisingly competent despite suffering multiple knockdowns and getting sotpped. At the very least, Monroe made it obvious to many of Golovkin’s detractors that head movement was an issue for the middleweight king.
Either way, all middleweight titles will be contested for on Saturday and it is expected that Saunders keeps his in a close affair that is sure to go 12.
From Echo Arena, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Time: 11:45 AM PDT, 2:45 PM EDT, 7:45 PM BST
TV: ITV4 (UK)
Callum Smith 22–0 (17 KOs) vs Erik Skoglund 26–0 (12 KOs)
12 rounds
super middleweight division
World Boxing Super Series quarterfinals
Callum Smith had the option of fighting for a world title last week, but he passed on that opportunity and instead placed himself in the World Boxing Super Series. A tournament full of young up-and-coming names at 168 pounds and George Groves.
Callum was once seen as one of the top prospects in the world with his only competition being Oscar Valdez and Anthony Joshua, but so far Callum hasn’t made good on his potential in the way Valdez and Joshua have. Smith has added devastating wins to his resume, but there is something missing. The ledger is impressive and full of stoppage wins, but those who watch his fights closely know that Smith isn’t quite ready to topple the titleholders at 168.
This tournament is the perfect launching pad for Smith to fully mature and develop into the kind of terror he was suspected of being when he turned pro 5 years ago.
Erik Skoglund is a domestic Swedish fighter who hasn’t quite left the domestic level. The good wins on his resume are against fighters who have since proven to be done. This should be an interesting fight, but a clear victory for Callum Smith.
From T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Time: 6:00 PM PDT, 9:00 PM EDT, 2:00 AM BST
TV: HBO PPV (US) BoxNation (UK)
🏅Gennady Golovkin 37–0 (33 KOs) vs Saul Alvarez 49–1–1 (34 KOs)
12 rounds
IBF world middleweight title
WBA super world middleweight title
WBC world middleweight title
Without a doubt this is the best fight in boxing. It is what the fans have really asked for (not a boxing vs MMA exhibition) and it’s what fans want. Asserting that the previous statement is true, why hasn’t this been at forefront of the boxing media? Why is Roman Gonzalez’s downfall the topic and not this fight?
It’s a simple answer. With Abel Sanchez the only fluent English speaker, there has been no room for bad blood. Sanchez has tried hard to make the usual predictions of a knockout and put Alvarez down whenever he can, but the fact is that a trainer can only do so much to build a fight. Fans want to hear the person with a direct influence on what is going to happen in the ring speak out. That hasn’t happened.
The question is whether or not the usual trash talk is actually missing? Does it need to be here? Do we need to see Golovkin shove Alvarez? Does Eddy Reynoso need to kick Abel Sanchez in the chest?
The promotion has gone exactly the way Alvarez and Golovkin usually approach business. They leave their fighting in the ring. They are courteous and professional when the question of who is better can’t be immediately answered.
Will that have an impact when the pay-per-view buys are tallied? For most, the answer doesn’t matter.
What matters is whether or not Canelo Alvarez can legitimize himself in the public eye (yet again) by beating Golovkin.
Joseph Diaz Jr 24–0 (13 KOs) vs Jorge Lara 29–0–2 (21 KOs)
12 rounds
featherweight division
If you’re one of those people that looked at the undercard (or was told by your boxing friend) and thought it sucked, well… there’s two words for you. You’re wrong. This fight alone has the potential to save an entire card no matter what comes before it or after.
Joseph Diaz Jr is a fighter with a dynamic offense that has outpaced his defense. He lands power shots at a high rate and is a willing participant in any exchange where heavy leather is thrown.
Jorge Lara is the kind of fighter that reminds me of a young Manny Pacquiao. (Discovered by the same guy too.) He’s relentless. He isn’t willing to find out if his chin is any good or not, so his route to victory is swinging for the fences.
This combination is combustible. Someone has to break. Either Diaz is going to show the potential that was once seen in him when he came from the amateur program and turned pro or Lara will punish him for never putting together a solid defense.
Randy Caballero 24–0 (14 KOs) vs Diego De La Hoya 19–0 (9 KOs)
10 rounds
super bantamweight division
This is a sink or swim fight for Diego De La Hoya. His name hasn’t granted him stardom that maybe one would anticipate. In the ring he’s just been okay. He’s been helped by complimentary matchmaking, but this all comes to an end.
Randy Caballero is a former world champion that has only been beaten by maintaining his own weight. De La Hoya has shown defensive flaws as well as a lack of power that Caballero should have no problem exploiting if he comes back out as the same guy he’s always been.
Ryan Martin 19–0 (11 KOs) vs Francisco Rojo 20–2 (13 KOs)
10 rounds
lightweight division
Lightweight prospect is taking a nice step forward in his career. Rojo is your typical domestic Mexican prospect. Lots of wins over local opposition and should bring in a confidence and style that is going to make Martin have to do something other than blitz through him.
