Jake Paul will make some people mad (like always) when he faces Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The bout on DAZN pay-per-view will signal Paul’s entry to become a contender, and if any of the cruiserweight titles become vacant, don’t be surprised if he gets a title shot. Paul is getting better and is being matched well.
Like with most of Paul’s fights, there is some intrigue. Chavez Jr. never lived up to his potential. Can he do it in this fight? Can Paul beat someone who held a title who is still young-ish? Those are the questions being asked.
undercard:
Unified cruiserweight titleholder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez returns against Yuniel Dorticos. A great fight, but one that lacks sex appeal on paper. Ramirez is a good boxer, but also has a rugged nature to his style, which allows his fights in recent memory to have more exchanges than when he first burst onto the scene and defeated Arthur Abraham for the super middleweight title. Dorticos has legit one-punch power, and if he fought in another division, he would be more well-known. Cruiserweight just never gets the love from other divisions. A sneaky good fight, and could position Ramirez for a Jai Opetaia fight in the fall with a win.
Holly Holm returns to boxing against undefeated Yolanda Vega in a women’s lightweight bout that is far from a lay-up. Holm hasn’t boxed since 2013 as she moved over to MMA (the UFC), famously knocking out Ronda Rousey.
The big fight of the undercard, Floyd Schofield vs. Tevin Farmer, might answer the question of; How good is Schofield? It is Schofield’s first fight of the year. He was supposed to fight Shakur Stevenson, but that didn’t happen. Farmer is fearless and unafraid to test young fighters. This has the makings of being a great fight, especially since Farmer sits in the pocket more now.
A good welterweight match-up will see recent MVP signee Avious Griffin facing former prospect Julian Rodriguez in a crossroads bout for both.
Raul Curiel will be featured in a 10-round fight.
Junior flyweight Naomy Valle is being matched tough against Ashley Felix. Valle is the sister of Yokasta Valle, and Felix gave Guadalupe Medina a tough fight on a 360 Promotions card.
Other Notable Bouts:
On Wednesday, former titleholder Liam Paro will face Jonathan Navarro in Australia.
Super middleweight Christian Mbilli will take on Maciej Sulecki for the vacant WBC interim super middleweight title. Mbilli is a great pressure fighter who has been battle-tested through the Eye of the Tiger Thursday night circuit. Now, we need to see how he fares at the next level. Sulecki defeated Ali Akhmedov, which was a bit shocking. Mbilli is looking for big fights, getting an interim title (even though some fans will laugh at this) will go a long way in doing so.
Erik Bazinyan will face Steven Butler in a super middleweight bout between two like-minded punchers, who find themselves at the crossroads of their careers.
Heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov returns to action as he has been inactive lately.
Prospects Jhon Orobio, Luis Santana, and Wilkens Mathieu are worth keeping an eye on.
Saturday on BLK PPV (and PPV.com), Deontay Wilder will face Tyrrell Herndon. Wilder was a star to start the decade, now he is trying to revive that stardom against Herndon, who is best known for being stopped by Richard Torrez Jr.
Light heavyweight Deon Nicholson and 2016 Olympic flyweight Nico Hernandez are standouts for the card.
Share this post