FIGHT WEEK
A look at the coming week in capsules
***
JAIME MUNGUIA (35-0, 28 KOs) VS.
TUREANO JOHNSON (21-2-1, 15 KOs)
When: Friday, Oct. 30
Where: Fantasy Springs, Indio, Calif.
TV: DAZN
Division: Middleweight
At stake: Nothing
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Rashidi Ellis vs. Alexis Rocha, welterweights; Marlen Esparza vs. Sulem Urbina, flyweights
Prediction: Munguia KO 8
Background: Munguia, a former junior middleweight titleholder, will be fighting at middleweight for the second time. The Mexican slugger, only 24, is physically strong and has unusual punching power but is still developing as a boxer. He sensationally stopped Sadam Ali to win his 154-pound title in May 2018 but struggled to outpoint Dennis Hogan about a year later and seemed vulnerable against Gary O’Sullivan in his 160-pound debut in January, although he won by 11th-round knockout. The jury is still out on him. Johnson, a 36-year-old veteran, is a capable boxer-puncher but he has come up short in his biggest fights. He lost by KO to both Curtis Stevens and Sergiy Derevyanchenko and seemed destined to permanent second-tier status. However, he pumped life into his career by stopped previously unbeaten Jason Quigley in nine rounds in July of last year. That victory earned him this shot at Munguia. If the native of the Bahamas can win on Friday, he could find himself in a 160-pound title fight in the near future. Of course, that’s a big if.
***
GERVONTA DAVIS (23-0, 22 KOs) VS.
LEO SANTA CRUZ (37-1-1, 19)
When: Oct. 31
Where: Alamodome, San Antonio
TV: Pay-per-view
Division: Junior lightweight and lightweight
At stake: Santa Cruz’s 130-pound and Davis’ secondary 135-pound titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: Santa Cruz Honorable Mention
Odds: Davis 3½-1 (BetMGM)
Also on the card: Regis Prograis vs. Juan Heraldez, junior welterweights; Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Karl, junior welterweights; Diego Magdaleno vs. Issac Cruz Gonzalez, lightweights.
Prediction: Davis KO 9
Background: Davis and Santa Cruz are making their debuts as pay-per-view headliners. “Tank” has been largely untouchable in his seven-plus-year career, as his record indicates. He didn’t look great in his last fight, against veteran Yuriorkis Gamboa last December, but he still built a big lead on the cards and scored a 12th-round knockout. His biggest enemy has been his dedication to training. However, after moving his camp to Floyd Mayweather’s gym in Las Vegas, he seems to be more focused than ever. That will have been necessary to make the agreed-upon 130-pound limit for the fight. Santa Cruz could be Davis’ toughest challenge. The four-division titleholder also has been a consistent winner. He avenged the only loss of his career, outpointing Carl Frampton in their rematch. Santa Cruz’s Achilles’ heel in this fight could be his natural size. He fought at featherweight only two fights ago yet will be facing a big junior lightweight with uncommon punching power. “El Terremoto” looked so-so in his title-winning fight against Miguel Flores last November but battled flu symptoms during training. Should be fun.
***
NAOYA INOUE (19-0, 16 KOs) VS.
JASON MOLONEY (21-1, 18 KOs)
When: Saturday, Oct. 31
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
TV: ESPN
Division: Bantamweights
At stake: Inoue’s IBF and WBA titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: Inoue No. 3
Odds: Inoue 9-1 (BetMGM)
Also on the card: Ewa Brodnicka vs. Mikaela Mayer, junior lightweights (for Brodnicka’s title)
Prediction: Inoue KO 4
Background: Inoue, a three-division titleholder, has steamrolled his way to the pinnacle of the sport with uncommon natural gifts – speed, power, IQ – and the seasoning to make full use of them. His most-recent opponent, Nonito Donaire, seemed to expose vulnerabilities in the Japanese star but Inoue had to fight through a broken bone in his face and still emerged with a clear decision victory last November in Japan. Inoue, hoping to make his mark in the United States, will be fighting there for the second time in his career. He stopped Antonio Nieves in six rounds in 2017 in California. Moloney, a well-schooled boxer from Australia, will have his work cut out but he can’t be written off. He has the tools to give anyone problems and, as a former junior featherweight, is naturally bigger than Inoue. Also, he’s coming off an impressive seventh-round knockout of capable Leonardo Baez on June 25 inside the MGM Grand “bubble.” That means he will have been active more recently than Inoue and is more familiar with the venue.
***
OLEKSANDR USYK (17-0, 13 KOs) VS.
DEREK CHISORA (32-9, 23 KOs)
When: Saturday, Oct. 31
Where: Wembley Arena, London
TV: DAZN
Division: Heavyweight
At stake: Nothing
Pound-for-pound ranking: Usyk No. 4
Odds: Usyk 5½-1 (BetMGM)
Also on the card: Lee Selby vs. George Kambosos Jr., lightweights; Tommy McCarthy vs. Bilal Laggoune, cruiserweights (for vacant European title)
Prediction: Usyk UD
Background: Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, will be fighting at heavyweight for the second time. He looked comfortable in a seventh-round knockout of Chazz Witherspoon in his debut at the weight in October of last year, meaning he will have been out of the ring for 12 months. Usyk is the mandatory challenger to Anthony Joshua’s WBO title. The 6-foot-3 Ukrainian weighed 215 pounds for the Witherspoon fight, more than 45 less than Chisora (260¼) weighed when he stopped David Price in four rounds in October of last year. Chisora, 36, has been a contender for a decade. The Londoner lost a wide decision to Vitali Klitschko in his only title shot back in 2012. He’s a solid all-around heavyweight who has come up short – sometimes barely – in his biggest fights. He has won three consecutive fights since he was stopped by Dillian Whyte in 11 rounds in December 2018. Usyk is clearly a better boxer in this fight but Chisora will be bigger and stronger. We’ll learn a lot about Usyk’s future at heavyweight on Saturday.
[lawrence-related id=14884,14471,12214,9758,14650]
