Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Masayoshi Nakatani (lightweights)... Prediction: Lomachenko by decision
Former three-division champion and pound-for-pound star, and a double Olympic gold medalist to boot, Vasyl Lomachenko returns from shoulder surgery and a unanimous decision defeat to Teofimo Lopez to battle the highly ranked contender Masayoshi Nakatani in a twelve-round lightweight bout. Nakatani is coming off a career-defining, comeback knockout victory over Felix Verdejo. I see Lomachenko using his skill, experience, and ring IQ to defeat Nakatani by unanimous decision. I can envision scores of 119-109, 118-110, and 117-111.
Julio Cesar Martinez vs. Joel Cordova (WBC flyweight championship)... Prediction: Martinez by early KO
WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez defends his title for the third time against battle-tested Joel Cordova. Martinez is coming off an early knockout victory over Moises Calleros Garcia, while Cordova is coming off a first-round knockout victory over Ottoniel Ortiz Zarate. I see the younger, faster, and stronger. Martinez defeating Cordova with ease. Martinez should stop Cordova from rounds one to round six.
Yamileth Mercado vs. Angelica Rascon (WBC bantamweight title)...Prediction: Mercado by decision
WBC female bantamweight world champion Yamileth Mercado defends her title for the second time against unbeaten Angelica Rascon. Mercado is coming off a clear unanimous decision victory over Julissa Alejandra Guzman, while Rascon is coming off a no contest due to an accidental headbutt against Karla Islas. I see the younger, stronger, and more experienced champion Mercado retaining her title by unanimous decision. I can envision scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93.
Daniel Matellon vs. Jose Argumedo (WBA light flyweight interim title)... Prediction: Argumedo by decision
WBA interim light flyweight champion Daniel Matellon defends his title against former IBF minimumweight champion Jose Argumedo. Matellon is coming off a majority decision victory over Erick Omar Lopez Garcia, whilst Argumedo is coming off a fourth-round stoppage victory over Noe Medina. I see the younger, stronger and more experienced Argumedo defeating Matellon by unanimous decision to take his interim title. I predict scores of 117-111, 116-112, and 115-113.
Zhanibek Alimkhanuly vs. Rob Brant (middleweights... Prediction: Alimkhanuly by decision
Unbeaten Kazak amateur star Zhanibek Alimkhanuly battles former WBA regular champion Rob Brant in a ten-round middleweight bout. Alimkhanuly is coming off a 2020 knockout of the year contender over Gonzalo Gaston Coria, while Brant is coming off a mid-round stoppage victory over Vitalii Kopylenko. I see the younger Alimkhanuly using his high-level amateur experience to defeat Brant by a close unanimous decision. The scores will be close, 96-94.
Mario Barrios vs. Gervonta Davis (WBA regular junior welterweight title)... Prediction: Davis by late KO
Gervonta Davis, a two-time champion at 130 pounds and a regular title holder at 135, moves up to 140 to battle WBA regular junior welterweight champion Mario Barrios. Davis is coming off a 2020 win via knockout of the year candidate over a four-division champion, Leo Santa Cruz. Barrios is coming off a mid-round knockout victory over Ryan Karl but will enjoy about a five-inch height advantage and a four-inch reach advantage. Still, I believe that Davis has the explosive power to defeat Barrios by stopping him somewhere between rounds eight to twelve.
Erickson Lubin vs. Jeison Rosario (junior middleweights)... Prediction: Lubin by mid-round KO
Powerful contender Erickson Lubin battles former unified WBA / IBF 154-pound world champion Jeison Rosario in a twelve-round WBC eliminator. Lubin is coming off a clear unanimous decision victory over Terrell Gausha, whilst Rosario is coming off an eighth-round knockout loss to Jermell Charlo, now a three-belt champion. I see the slightly younger, more powerful, and more experienced Lubin stopping Rosario. It should happen somewhere around rounds seven to ten.
Batyr Akhmedov vs. Algenis Mendez (junior welterweights)... Prediction: Akhmedov by decision
Batyr Akhmedov is someone who most thought should have been the WBA regular junior welterweight champion after fighting Mario Barrios to a controversial decision loss. On the pay-per-view, he battles former IBF junior lightweight champion Algenis Mendez in a twelve-round WBA eliminator. Akhmedov is coming off an explosive first-round knockout victory over journeyman Rey Perez, while Mendez is coming off a ten-round split decision loss to Richardson Hitchins. I see the younger, faster, and stronger Akhmedov defeating Mendez by unanimous decision with scores ranging from 118-110 to 116-112.
Jay Harris vs. Ricardo Sandoval (IBF flyweight eliminator)... Prediction: Harris by decision
Jay Harris, who gave Julio Cesar Martinez hell in a WBC flyweight title challenge battles the young up-and-coming flyweight Ricardo Sandoval of California in a twelve-round IBF eliminator. After losing to Martinez, Harris came back with a clear unanimous decision victory over Marcel Braithwaite. Sandoval is coming off a seventh-round knockout victory over journeyman Raymond Tabugon. I see this fight being very competitive and can see either man winning, but as of now I’m edging Harris to defeat Sandoval by majority decision, with scores along the lines of 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114.
Dina Thorslund vs. Jasseth Noriega (vacant WBO bantamweight title)... Prediction: Thorslund by decision
Former WBO female super bantamweight champion Dina Thorslund drops down to 118 pounds to battle former minimumweight contender Jasseth Noriega in a ten rounder for the vacant WBO bantamweight championship. Thorslund is coming off a wide unanimous decision victory over Nina Radovanovic, whilst Noriega is coming off a clear unanimous decision victory over Celeste Belen Gonzalez. I see the three-year younger and stronger former world champion Thorslund defeating Noriega by unanimous decision. I envision scores of 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94.
Paul Butler vs. Wilibaldo Perez (bantamweights)... Prediction: Butler by decision
Former IBF bantamweight champion Paul Butler faces the battle-tested Wilibaldo Perez in a ten-round bantamweight bout. Butler is coming off a wide unanimous decision victory over Ryan Walker, whilst Perez is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Oscar Nery Plata. I see the faster and more experienced Butler defeating Perez by unanimous decision. I can envision scores of 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94.
WEEK 7: Results for week: 8-3; Overall: 35-11
Naoya Inoue vs. Michael Dasmarinas (IBF and WBA bantamweight titles)... Prediction: Inoue by early KO
Multi-weight champion and current unified WBA and IBF bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue defends his titles against his IBF mandatory, Michael Dasmarinas. Inoue is coming off a spectacular knockout victory over Jason Moloney, whilst Dasmarinas is coming off a mid-round knockout victory over journeyman Artid Bamrungauea. I see Inoue easily winning this fight just based on his sheer power, and experience at the top level. Inoue should stop Dasmarinas from rounds one to round six.
ACTUAL RESULT: Inoue by early KO
Jermall Charlo vs. Juan Macias Montiel (WBC middleweight title)... Prediction: Charlo by early KO
Former IBF junior middleweight champion and current WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo defends his title against the hard-hitting Mexican contender Juan Macias Montiel. Charlo is coming off a career-best unanimous decision victory over Serhiy Derevyanchenko, while Montiel is coming off an explosive first-round knockout victory over James Kirkland. Although Montiel has tremendous power-- his career record is 22-4-2 with 22 wins by KO-- I think he's not ready for the sheer skill, speed, and power that Charlo possesses. Charlo should stop Montiel from rounds one to round six.
ACTUAL RESULT: Charlo by decision
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Anderson Silva (cruiserweights)... Prediction: Chavez by mid-round KO
Former WBC middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. battles former UFC champion Anderson Silva in an eight-round cruiserweight bout. Chavez's last fight was a comeback knockout victory over Jeyson Minda. This fight had a contracted weight of 182, and Chavez, who used to make 160, came in heavy. Silva has one boxing match on his resume, a second-round knockout victory over unknown Julio Cesar De Jesus in 2005. Although Silva was a tremendous mixed martial artist, I don’t think that will really translate into boxing. Plus, Silva is 46 years old more than a decade older than Chavez, who is 35. Chavez Jr. should stop Silva somewhere in rounds four to round six.
ACTUAL RESULT: Silva by decision
Jaime Munguia vs. Kamil Szeremeta (middleweights)... Prediction: Munguia by mid-round KO
Former WBO 154-poundchampion Jaime Munguia battles former Kamil Szeremeta in a twelve round middleweight bout. Munguia is coming off a lackluster sixth -ound knockout victory over Tureano Johnson, whilst Szeremeta is coming off his first defeat by knockout to the best current middleweight, IBF champion Gennadiy Golovkin. I see Munguia using his sheer power, speed and size to defeat Szeremeta. Munguia should stop Szeremeta from rounds four to round eight.
ACTUAL RESULT: Munguia by mid-round KO
Bektemir Melikuziev vs. Gabriel Rosado (super middleweights)... Prediction: Melikuziev by decision
Unbeaten Uzbek amateur star Bektemir Melikuziev takes on his toughest test as a pro in the tough, rugged, and battle tested veteran Gabriel Rosado in a twelve-round super middleweight bout. Melikuziev is coming off an early knockout victory over Morgan Fitch, whilst Rosado is coming off a controversial split decision loss to former middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs. I see the younger, stronger, and faster Melikuziev defeating the veteran Rosado by a clear unanimous decision. I envision scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
ACTUAL RESULT: Rosado by early KO
Angelo Leo vs. Aaron Alameda (junior featherweights)... Prediction: Leo by decision
Former WBO junior featherweight champion battles former Aaron Alameda in a ten-round junior featherweight bout. Leo is coming off his first defeat, a loss to current world champion Stephen Fulton by a clear unanimous decision, while Alameda is coming off his first defeat to former world champion Luis Nery by controversial unanimous decision. Alameda came in overweight for the fight. I see Leo working on the inside to grind out a unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94.
ACTUAL RESULT: Leo by majority decision
Isaac Cruz vs. Francisco Vargas (lightweights)... Prediction: Cruz by late-round knockout
Former WBC junior lightweight champion Francisco Vargas in in against rising lightweight Isaac Cruz battles in a ten rounder. Cruz is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jose Matias Romero, whilst Vargas is coming off an early knockout victory over Otto Gamez. I see this being a very close fight until Cruz’s work on the inside really starts to do damage on Vargas. Cruz should stop Vargas from rounds six to round ten.
ACTUAL RESULT: Cruz by decision
Adam Lopez vs. Isaac Dogboe, 10 rounds, featherweights...Prediction: Dogboe by decision
Former WBO junior featherweight champion Isaac Dogboe faces the battle tested fringe contender Adam Lopez in a ten-round featherweight bout. Dogoe is coming off an eighth-round knockout victory over Chris Avalos. Lopez is coming off a close and competitive majority decision victory over Jason Sanchez. I see Dogboe utilizing his experience at the top level to get a close unanimous decision victory by winning six of the ten rounds.
ACTUAL RESULT: Dogboe by majority decision
Felix Sturm vs. James Kraft (super middleweights)... Prediction: Sturm by decision
Former champion Felix Sturm takes his second fight after four years off. The 42 year-old battles the young and unbeaten James Kraft in a ten-round super middleweight bout. Sturm is coming off a wide unanimous decision victory over Timo Rost, while Kraft is coming off an early stoppage victory over Malkhaz Sujashvili. Although Sturm is eighteen years older than Kraft, I believe that he will use his experience to get a unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93.
ACTUAL RESULT: Sturm by decision
Yuri Foreman vs. Jimmy Williams (super welterweights)... Prediction: Foreman by decision
Former WBA 154-pound champion Yuri Foreman battles the relatively unknown Jimmy Williams in an eight-round super welterweight bout. Foreman is coming off a lackluster split-decision victory over (11-9) Jeremy Ramos, whilst Williams is coming off a first-round knockout victory over Clifford McPherson. Although Foreman is forty years old and relatively inactive, I believe that he has enough to pull off a close unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 78-74 and 77-75.
ACTUAL RESULT: Williams by majority decision
Paul Gallen vs. Justis Huni (heavyweights)... Prediction: Huni by decision
Former rugby player Paul Gallen (11-0-1) battles Australian amateur sensation Justis Huni in a ten-round heavyweight bout before Huni leaves for the Olympics. The fight takes place in Australia on Wednesday morning (US time). Gallen is coming off a career-defining first-round knockout victory over former WBA regular heavyweight champion Lucas Browne, while Huni (4-0 as a pro) is fresh off a wide unanimous decision victory over the durable Christian Ndize Tsoye. I see the younger, faster, and stronger Huni breaking down the former rugby player throughout the fight to get a unanimous decision victory, possibly a late stoppage. I can envision scores of 97-93 and 98-92 for Huni.
ACTUAL RESULT: Huni by late KO.
***
WEEK 6: Results for week: 3-1; Overall: 27-8
Shakur Stevenson vs. Jeremiah Nakathila (WBO interim junior lightweight title)... Prediction: Stevenson by decision
Former WBO featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson battles Namibian policeman Jeremiah Nakathila in a twelve rounder for the WBO interim title at 130 pounds. Stevenson, age 23, is coming off an impressive wide unanimous decision victory over Toka Kahn Clary, while the 31 year-old Nakathila is coming off an early knockout victory over Emmanuel Amos in Namibia. Nakathila has one loss, in 2016 by majority decision in Russia. I see the younger, faster, and more slick Stevenson outclassing Nakathila to win a unanimous decision. I can envision scores of 120-108 and 119-109.
ACTUAL RESULT: Stevenson by decision
Jose Pedraza vs. Julian Rodriguez (junior welterweights)... Prediction: Pedraza by decision
Former two-division champion Jose Pedraza battles the unbeaten Julian Rodriguez in a ten round junior welterweight bout. Pedraza is coming off a clear unanimous decision victory over Javier Molina, while Rodriguez is coming off an early knockout victory over Jose Lopez. I see Pedraza, who has been in the ring with Vasiliy Lomachenko and Tank Davis and won four other world title fights, using his experience at the top level to his advantage to get a unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 97-93 and 96-94.
ACTUAL RESULT: Pedraza by late stoppage
Jeremias Ponce vs. Lewis Ritson (IBF junior welterweight eliminator)... Prediction: Ritson by decision
Former IBO junior welterweight champion Jeremias Ponce takes on the battle tested Brit Lewis Ritson in a twelve rounder that will be an IBF junior welterweight final eliminator. This is a tough fight to pick because Ponce is coming off a close unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Jose Eniz, while Ritson is coming off a controversial split decision victory over Miguel Vasquez that many criticized as home cooking. Still, I see Ritson using his come forward style to his advantage to get a unanimous decision victory. I envision scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111.
ACTUAL RESULT: Ponce by late stoppage
Thomas Patrick Ward vs. Edy Valencia Mercado (featherweights)... Prediction: Ward by decision
In the DAZN co-feature from England, unbeaten Brit Thomas Patrick Ward faces the battle-tested Mexican Edy Valencia Mercado in a ten rounder in the featherweight division. Ward is coming off a disappointing technical draw to 10-6 Thomas Essomba, while Mercado is coming off a split decision victory over Jose Ramon Olmeda who was 16-0 at the time. Despite some recent upsets by Mexicans in England, I see Ward using his footwork and hand speed to get a unanimous decision victory winning about seven to nine of the scheduled ten rounds.
ACTUAL RESULT: Ward by decision
WEEK 5: Results for week: 4-1; Overall: 24-7
Daniel Dubois vs. Bogdan Dinu (WBA interim heavyweight title)... Prediction: Dubois by early KO
RESULT: Dubois by early KO
Jarrett Hurd vs. Luis Arias (junior middleweights)... Prediction: Hurd by decision
RESULT: Arias by decision
Badou Jack vs. Dervin Colina (light heavyweights)... Prediction: Jack by late KO
RESULT: Jack by early KO
RESULT: Chudinov by decision
David Lemieux vs. David Zegarra.. Prediction: Lemieux by early KO
RESULT: Lemieux by early KO
WEEK 4: Results for week: 7-3; Overall: 20-6
Nordine Oubaali vs. Nonito Donaire (WBC bantamweight championship)... Prediction: Oubaali by decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Donaire by early KO
Devin Haney vs. Jorge Linares (WBC regular lightweight championship)... Prediction: Haney by late KO
ACTUAL RESULT: Haney by decision
Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Jovanie Santiago... Prediction: Russell by unanimous decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Russell by mid-round stoppage
Chantelle Cameron vs. Melissa Hernandez (WBC junior welterweight championship)...Prediction: Cameron by decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Cameron by mid-round stoppage
Subriel Matias vs. Batyrzhan Jukembayev (IBF junior welterweight eliminator)... Prediction: Matias by mid-round KO
ACTUAL RESULT: Matias by mid-round KO
Martin Joseph Ward vs. Azinga Fuzile (IBF super featherweight eliminator)... Prediction: Fuzile by mid-round stoppage
ACTUAL RESULT: Fuzile by mid-round stoppage
Shane Mosley Jr. vs. Jason Quigley (middeweights)... Prediction: Mosley by unanimous decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Quigley by decision
Artur Spilka vs. Lukasz Rozanski (heavyweights)... Prediction: Rozanski by early KO
ACTUAL RESULT: Rozanski by early KO
Carlos Canizales vs. Esteban Bermudez (WBA regular light flyweight championship)... Prediction: Canizales by mid-round KO
ACTUAL RESULT: Bermudez by mid-round KO
Justis Huni vs. Christian Ndzie Tsoye (heavyweights)... Prediction: Huni by early KO
ACTUAL RESULT: Huni by decision
WEEK THREE: Result: 4-2; Overall: 13-3.
Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. Josh Taylor (Four-belt world junior welterweight championship)... Prediction: Taylor by majority decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Taylor by decision
Carlos Molina vs. Same Eggington (middleweights)... Prediction: Eggington by unanimous decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Eggington by unanimous decision
Jose Zepeda vs. Hank Lundy (junior welterweights)... Prediction: Zepeda by mid-round stoppage
ACTUAL RESULT: Zeoeda by decision
Elvis Rodriguez vs. Kenneth Sims Jr. (junior welterweights)... Prediction: Rodriguez by decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Sims by decision
Dmitriy Kudryashov vs. Evgeny Romanov (WBC bridgerweight eliminator)... Prediction: Romanov by early stoppage
ACTUAL RESULT: Romanov by decision.
Nkosinathi Joyi vs. Ayanda Ndulani (IBO minimumweight championship)... Prediction: Joyi by decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Ndulani by early knockout.
***
WEEK TWO: Result: 6-1; Overall: 9:1
ACTUAL RESULT: Charr by early KO
Joshua Buatsi vs. Daniel Blenda Dos Santos (light heavyweights)... Prediction: Buatsi by mid-round KO
ACTUAL RESULT: Buatsi by mid-round KO
ACTUAL RESULT: Figueroa by mid-round KO
Daniel Roman vs. Ricardo Espinoza Franco (super bantamweights)... Prediction: Roman by decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Roman by decision
Xavier Martinez vs. Juan Carlos Burgos (junior lightweights)... Prediction: Martinez by decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Martinez by decision
BONUS ROUND: little-known heavyweights
Jacek Piatek vs. Viktor Vykhyrst (heavyweights)... Prediction: Vykhyrst by mid-round KO.
ACTUAL RESULT: Vykhyrst by first-round KO.
Demsey McKean vs. Kiko Toa Leutele (heavyweights)... Prediction: McKean by late KO
ACTUAL RESULT: McKean by decision
***
WEEK 1: Result: 3-0
ACTUAL RESULT: Alvarez by mid-round KO.
Elwin Soto vs. Katsunari Takayama (WBO junior flyweight championship)... Prediction: Soto by decision
ACTUAL RESULT: Soto by premature stoppage
ACTUAL RESULT: Sanchez by mid-round KO when Aguilera claims he was fouled
