Troy Isley has been elevated to the co-main event against Joseph Hicks tonight in Atlanta, but the bigger question surrounding the 2020 U.S. Olympian will remain unanswered regardless of the result.
Isley (16-0, 6 KOs) and Hicks have fought three times in the amateurs, and Chris Mannix reports that their bad blood boiled over at the weigh-in. Their middleweight bout moves up the card following the cancellation of Ernesto Mercado’s fight. The DAZN broadcast begins at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The history between Isley and Hicks gives the fight some intrigue. What it doesn’t provide is the kind of test Isley needs five years into his professional career.
Isley spent more than four years with Top Rank without progressing to high-caliber contender opposition. He signed with Salita Promotions earlier this year, yet the matchmaking remains cautious. It’s unclear what Salita is waiting for.
Isley came into the professional ranks with Olympic experience. At 16-0, he should already be facing opponents capable of showing whether he can compete near the top of the middleweight division.
His lack of power may explain some of the caution. Isley has stopped only six of his 16 opponents, and his difficult 2023 fight against Vladimir Hernandez didn’t inspire confidence that he was ready for a major increase in competition.
That doesn’t mean Isley won’t pan out. The problem is that nobody knows yet, and Hicks isn’t likely to provide much of an answer.
Fights against middleweights around the level of Yoenli Hernandez, Callum Walsh, Tim Tszyu or Shane Mosley Jr. would tell Salita considerably more. Isley needs opposition capable of forcing him to prove that his boxing skills can compensate for his limited power.
Tonight gives Isley a better television position. What he needs next is a better opponent.