After so many weeks, months (it seems like years) since we fight fans were treated to as hectic a boxing schedule like the one we are looking forward to tomorrow night, it’s kinda tough getting reacquainted with the good stuff we will soon have upon us in just one night.
Look at this lot for tomorrow’s schedule:
- Las Vegas: Eleider Alvarez Vs. Joe Smith Jr – at light-heavyweight
- Los Angeles: Shawn Porter Vs. Sebastian Formella – at welterweight
- London: Dillian Whyte Vs. Alexander Povetkin – at heavyweight
- Germany: Yoan Pablo Hernandez Vs. Kevin Johnson – at heavyweight
- Worcestershire, UK: Shakan Pitters Vs. Chad Sugden – at light-heavyweight
A solid schedule if ever there was one, made all the more special due to the drought we’ve all been forced to go through. And the above fights are of course merely the headline fights, with plenty of cracking under-card stuff featuring on each card.
The heavyweight clash between Whyte and Povetkin has had the most hype, and the battle of the big men might also prove to be the fight of the night. But welterweight star Porter, for many the most consistently exciting, value for money leather slinger (and catcher) in boxing today, might provide the lion’s share of the thrills with his fight. Not too much is known about the unbeaten Formella of Germany and we don’t know if he can handle the heat Porter brings.
Porter is looking at bigger 147-pound fights but he needs to come out okay tomorrow before he can target the Errol Spence-Danny Garcia winner or Manny Pacquiao.
The 175 pound battle between Alvarez and Smith Jr has the look of a can’t-miss slugfest. This also has to be looked at as the potential fight of the night.
As for veteran and inactive former cruiserweight champ Hernandez and his fight with the seen-it-all-done-it-all Johnson, who knows what to expect here. Neither guy is what you could call a spring chicken and it will be interesting to see if the former cruiser boss can do anything as a heavyweight. Johnson can be expected to test Hernandez, maybe a little more.
And for UK fans, the Pitters-Sugden scrap – going out on terrestrial Chanel 5 – should be well worth tuning in for. The two have had some heated words in the run-up to the fight and plenty of insiders see this fight as being the one that will send all fans home feeling happy.
The full boxing weekend is back!
Here are my picks for the big fights:
Alvarez to win a close decision over Smith Jr.
Whyte to stop Povetkin (but have to get up from a knockdown to do so) in the 7th or the 8th.
Porter to win a wide UD over Formella.
“KingPin” Johnson to upset Hernandez via decision.
Pitters to outlast Sugden in a domestic classic.