FIGHT WEEK
A look at the coming week in boxing in capsules.
OHARA DAVIES (21-2, 16 KOs)
VS. TYRONE MCKENNA (21-1-1, 6 KOs)
When: Wednesday, Sept. 30
Where: York Hall, London
TV: ESPN+
Division: Junior lightweight
At stake: Final of Golden Contract tournament
Odds: NA
Also on the card (Part I of PPV): Ryan Walsh vs. Jazza Dickens, featherweights (Golden Contract); Liam Conroy vs. Serge Michel, light heavyweights (Golden Contract)
Prediction: Davies KO 9
Background: McKenna has been calling out Davies for some time and will finally get his wish in a scheduled 10-round bout. Davies has won three consecutive fights since his high-profile unanimous-decision loss to Jack Catterall in October 2018, including a clear decision over veteran Miguel Vazquez. The 28-year-old Londoner last fought on Feb. 21, stopping Jeff Ofori in six rounds. Davies has only the loss to Catterall following his seventh-round knockout loss to Josh Taylor in July 2017. McKenna has won five straight since his only defeat, also at the hands of Catterall, in June 2018. The 30-year-old Irishman doesn’t have much punching power but loves to please the fans by mixing it up. He has said going into this fight that he will surprise some people with his boxing skills. McKenna is ranked No. 15 by the WBC. The winner of the Davies-McKenna fight will receive a contract with the combat sports management and promotional firm MTK Global.
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JOSE ZEPEDA (32-2, 25 KOs)
VS. IVAN BARANCHYK (20-1, 13 KOs)
When: Saturday, Oct. 3
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
TV: ESPN+
Division: Junior welterweight
At stake: Nothing
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Ryan Kielczweski, lightweights; Kingsley Ibeh vs. Guido Vianello, heavyweights
Prediction: Zepeda UD
Background: Zepeda and Baranchyk were supposed to have met in July but Baranchyk was injured in sparring and had to pull out. The winner of this battle between the two highly ranked contenders will inch closer to a title shot. Zepeda is a proven commodity, having lost a razor-thin majority decision in a title challenge against Jose Ramirez and defeating now-hot Jose Pedraza by a clear unanimous decision last year. The 31-year-old boxer-puncher from the Los Angeles area is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Kendo Castaneda inside the MGM Grand “bubble” on July 7. He is ranked No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the WBO. Baranchyk, 27, also is a respected veteran. The Oklahoma-based Russian won the IBF 140-pound title by stopping Anthony Yigit in October 2018 but lost it to Josh Taylor by a unanimous decision in his first defense in May of last year, a fight in which he went down twice. He rebounded by stopping Gabriel Bracero in four rounds last October. He’s ranked No. 4 by the IBF, No. 6 by the WBC.
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MARK MAGSAYO (20-0, 14 KOs)
VS. RIGOBERTO HERMOSILLO (11-2-1, 8 KOs)
When: Saturday, Oct. 3
Where: Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles
TV: FS1
Division: Featherweight
At stake: Nothing
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Luke Santamaria, welterweights; Angel Barrientes vs. Fernando Ibarra, featherweights; Chavez Barrientes vs. Ivan Varela, featherweights
Prediction: Magsayo KO 10
Background: Featherweight contender Mark Magsayo, a skillful boxer-puncher from the Philippines, has climbed the rankings rapidly. The 25-year-old is ranked No. 4 by both the IBF and WBC and No. 13 by the WBA, which means a title shot is on the horizon if he continues to win. He’s coming off a near-shutout decision over veteran Panya Uthok in August of last year in the Philippines. Thus, he will have been out of the ring for more than a year. Hermosillo is a solid boxer with good power. The 28-year-old Mexican southpaw is coming off consecutive losses to Manny Robles III and Viktor Slavinskyi, both by decision. Hermosillo stepped up in class against then-unbeaten Robles and acquitted himself well, losing a split nod. He probably isn’t in Magsayo’s class but isn’t likely to go easily.
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JOSHUA BUATSI (12-0, 10 KOs)
VS. MARKO CALIC (11-0, 6 KOs)
When: Sunday, Oct. 4
Where: London
TV: DAZN
Division: Light heavyweight
At stake: Nothing
Odds: NA
Also on the card (Part I of PPV): Chantelle Cameron vs. Adriana Dos Santos Araujo, junior welterweights (for vacant WBC title); Linus Udofia vs. John Harding, Jr., middleweights
Prediction: Buatsi KO 5
Background: Buatsi is a talented, hard-punching Ghanaian based in London who is ranked by all four the major sanctioning bodies (No. 3 IBF, No 3 WBA, No. 12 WBC and No. 14 WBO) even though he’s still developing. He’s coming off a seventh-round knockout of Ryan Ford in August of last year, which means he will have been out of the ring for more than a year. The native of Accra has stopped his last seven opponents, including veteran Marco Antonio Periban of Mexico. Calic is unbeaten but hasn’t faced an opponent of Buatsi’s ability. In fact, the 33-year-old Croatian has never fought in a scheduled 10-round bout. He last fought in October of last year, outpointing Serhii Zhuk.
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