Fight Week: Canelo Alvarez returns to defend 168-pound titles

Fight Week: Canelo Alvarez returns on Saturday to defend his 168-pound titles.

FIGHT WEEK

Canelo Alvarez makes the first defense of his 168-pound titles against prohibitive underdog Avni Yildirim on Saturday night in Miami

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DANIELE SCARDINA (18-0, 14 KOs) VS.
CESAR NUNEZ (17-2-1, 9 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9KlsKzTnIU

  • When: Friday, Feb. 26
  • Where: Allianz Cloud, Milan, Italy
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: European title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Maxim Prodan vs. Nicola Cristofori, welterweights; Francesco Grandelli vs. Davide Tassi, featherweights; Tobia Loriga vs. Nicholas Esposito, welterweights
  • Prediction: Scardina KO 9
  • Background: Scardina is a 28-year-old Italian who is based in Miami. The capable boxer-puncher from the town of Rozzano has had success against European-level opposition but has yet to face elite opposition. He has a good knockout record but has gone the distance in his last three fights. He was last in the ring in Dec. 18, when he outpointed Serhiy Radchenko. Nunez, a 35-year-old Spaniard, probably isn’t a significant threat to Scardina. He’s coming off a second-round TKO victory over journeyman Alejandro Mostazo in Spain but failed to win his previous three fights, in which he was 0-2-1. He was stopped by light-punching Vincent Feigenbutz (eighth round) and Edgar Berlanga (first) in those losses.

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CANELO ALVAREZ (54-1-2, 36 KOs)
VS. AVNI YILDIRIM (21-2, 12 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev2k8kucKTk

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
  • TV/Stream: DAZN and PPV
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: Alvarez’s WBA and WBC titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Alvarez No. 2
  • Odds: Alvarez 21-1 (BetMGM)
  • Also on the card: Julio Cesar Martinez vs. McWilliams Arroyo, flyweights (for Martinez’s WBC title); Zhang Zhilei vs. Jerry Forrest, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Alvarez KO 7
  • Background: Alvarez will be making the first defense of the titles he won by easily outpointing Callum Smith on Dec. 19. The 30-year-old Mexican star agreed to fight Yildirim because the Turk is his mandatory challenger and to keep busy after a year-long layoff before the Smith fight. He could fight four times this year, including a title-unification showdown with Billy Joe Saunders in May and possibly another unification matchup with Caleb Plant in September. Yildirim, a 29-year-old from Turkey, is a solid all-round fighter but not in Alvarez’s class. He has a few notable victories (Aaron Pryor Jr. and Marco Antonio Periban) but was blown out by Chris Eubank Jr. in three rounds and lost a unanimous technical decision to Anthony Dirrell in a fight for the then-vacant WBC 168-pound title in February 2019. That was Yildirim’s most-recent fight, which means he will have been out of the ring for two years when he faces Alvarez. The challenger agreed to step aside temporarily so Alvarez could fight then-champion Smith for the titles.

[lawrence-related id=17675,17520]

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KAMSHYBEK KUNKABAYEV (2-0, 2 KOs)
VS. STEVEN WARD (13-1, 4 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ_JTdHHr2Q

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Tynyshpayev Academy of Transport and Communications, Almaty, Kazakhstan
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Cruiserweight (200 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Evgeny Smirnov vs. Nurtas Azhbenov, lightweights; Zhanibek Alimkhanuly vs. TBA, middleweights
  • Prediction: Kunkabayev KO 7
  • Background: Kunkabayev is another former amateur star on a fast track in the professional ranks. The 29-year-old two-time silver medalist at the World Championships is taking part in a scheduled 10-rounder in only his third pro fight, albeit in his home country. He is a southpaw. Ward, 30, is probably best known for taking on Game of Thrones star “Mountain,” Thor Bjornsson, in an exhibition last month. However, he’s had some success as a legitimate boxer. He started his career 12-0, capped by a technical decision over Liam Conroy to win a minor light heavyweight title in June 2019 only to be stopped in one round by Ricards Bolotniks at the same weight six months later. He bounced back to outpoint journeyman Jone Volau in his first fight as a full-fledged cruiserweight this past September. Bottom line: Ward will be in with a naturally bigger, better and (if you count his amateur career) more experienced opponent.

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ANTHONY DIRRELL (33-2-1, 24 KOs)
VS. KYRONE DAVIS (15-2, 6 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPMe-VIFYC4&t=149s

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
  • TV/Stream: FOX
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jesus Alejandro Ramos vs. Jesus Emilio Bojorquez, 10 rounds, welterweights
  • Prediction: Dirrell UD
  • Background: Dirrell, a two-time 168-pound titleholder, has been out of the ring since September 2019. That’s when he lost his second belt to David Benavidez by a ninth-round knockout, the result of a deep cut above Dirrell’s right eye that was caused by a punch and ended the fight prematurely. Dirrell was competitive in that bout but faded in the last several rounds. The native of Flint, Mich., had won six consecutive fights before that, including a technical decision over Avni Yildirim in February 2019 to regain a belt. He also was cut in that fight. Dirrell, 36, might be making his last run at another title. Davis, 26, is a capable boxer but is moving up in class. The resident of Wilmington, Del., has beaten two journeymen since he lost a unanimous decision against Patrick Day in March 2018. His last fight was in January of last year, when he stopped Antonio Todd in four rounds.

[lawrence-related id=614]

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JOSEPH PARKER (27-2, 21 KOs)
VS. JUNIOR FA (19-0, 10 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F2x47-ebX0

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Spark Arena, Auckland
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Heavyweight (unlimited)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Alrie Meleisea vs. Lani Daniels, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Parker UD
  • Background: Parker’s mission is to remain in contention for a title shot should one present himself. The 29-year-old former beltholder from New Zealand has won three consecutive fights – all by knockout – since he lost to Anthony Joshua (which cost him his title) and Dillian Whyte back to back in 2018. Parker last fought in February of last year, when he stopped journeyman Shawndell Winters in five rounds. Fa, also from New Zealand, reportedly defeated Parker twice in the amateurs but has yet to reach the elite level as a professional. Of course, this is his opportunity to get there. He’s coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Devin Vargas in November 2019. Fa is 6-foot-5, an inch taller than Parker, and thick. He weighed 267.5 for the Vargas fight. Parker weighed 245.25 against Winters.