This week two fighters stood out: WBO welterweight champ Brian Norman Jr and middleweight Jahi Tucker.
Brian Norman Jr KO5 Jin Sasaki
Norman recorded the knockout of the year, so far. Norman, might just be the best welterweight after Jaron Ennis announced his move to 154lbs.
Top Rank ESPN+ card on Saturday from Newark, New Jersey.
Vito Mielnicki Jr UD10 Kamil Gardzielik
A good hometown win for Mielnicki, but doesn’t answer deeper questions about his ceiling in the future.
Jahi Tucker UD10 Lorenzo Simpson
Tucker is one of my favorites in the sport. He takes hard fights willingly. He has forged a tough path, and now he is a true middleweight contender. Albeit I am prone to give him a prospect of the year award.
Other thoughts from the Top Rank show: Dakota was impressed with junior featherweight Lisandra Contreras, who made her pro debut on this card. Jamar Talley is a heavyweight to watch. It was nice to see Kahshad Elliott fight again. Dwyke Flemmings Jr has a ton of potential, Brandun Lee got a solid win, I hope he can get a 50-50 type fight soon. Oh, Damian Knyba might be a real threat in the heavyweight division despite being under the radar.
Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN - Yafai-Rodriguez
Francisco Rodriguez Jr UD12 Galal Yafai
Rodriguez is criminally underrated and Yafai has adapted well to the pros. The end result, a tough loss for Yafai, a 2020 Olympic gold medalist. Listen to the audio for a deeper breakdown.
Undercard notes: welterweight Conah Walker got a knockout win. He is a solid U.K. level guy. Junior featherweight Peter McGrail once again struggled this time to a majority decision against late-sub Ionut Baluta. McGrail was cut in the fight and serious concerns over his career might be mounting. Cruiserweight Pat Brown got a knockout win and women’s bantamweight Tiah Mai Ayton stood-out in her pro debut.
Other notable bouts:
DAZN card on Friday night from Long Beach, California.
David Stevens UD10 Petr Khamukov
A good main event on Friday night on DAZN. Khamukov won the fight on my card, but it was close. Stevens appeared to get credit for going forward. Wouldn’t be made to see a rematch.
Juan Sanchez KO3 Yeis Gabriel Solano
Sanchez might be a real threat. He stopped veteran Solano and is a junior welterweight up-and-comer worth watching. Someone should sign him soon.
Dorian Mendez SD6 Leonardo Rubalcava
Mendez pulled off an upset and now has a marquee win at 140lbs. Imagine a bout between Sanchez-Mendez in the future. That’d be good.
360 Promotions card from Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.
Callum Walsh RTD5 Elias Espadas
Walsh outclassed Espadas, but the fight was stopped as a cut on Walsh’s head from a headbutt was too bloody for the fight to continue.
Vernon Brown TKO7 Gor Yeritsyan
Brown landed a home-run shot that handed Yeritsyan his second loss in four fights.
Other notables on the 360 Promotions card: Junior welterweight Cain Sandoval stopped Jonathan Jose Eniz in two rounds. Sandoval is one of the best up-and-comers in the sport. Daniel Barrera bounced back from his first career loss with a unanimous decision, and “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco won an eight-round unanimous decision over Celene Roman.
Share this post