FIGHT WEEK
Miguel Berchelt vs. Oscar Valdez and the return of Adrian Broner highlight another busy weekend of boxing
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JANELSON FIGUEROA BOCACHICA (16-0, 11 KOs) VS.
MARK REYES JR. (14-0, 12 KOs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7JnwNWwdBU
- When: Wednesday, Feb. 17
- Where: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn
- TV/Stream: Showtime (ShoBox: The Next Generation)
- Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
- At stake: No titles
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: NA
- Also on the card: Vladimir Shishkin vs. Sena Agbeko, super middleweights; Alejandro Guerrero vs. Abraham Montoya, lightweights; Timur Ferefov vs. Argenis Espana, middleweights
- Prediction: Bocachica KO 8
- Background: Bocachica and Reyes are legitimate 147-pound prospects. The former might be best known for having knocked down Teofimo Lopez in sparring a few years ago (see video) but the 22-year-old boxer-puncher from Detroit seems to be a complete fighter. He last fought this past October, when he stopped Nicklaus Flaz in the first round. That was Bocachica’s ShoBox debut. Reyes, a 24-year-old from Tampa, Fla., is building a reputation as power puncher. He has stopped 12 of his 14 opponents, including his last nine. He’s coming off a 47-second knockout of Diego Vicente Perez in November. Both Bocachica and Reyes are fighting in their first scheduled 10-rounder.
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SEAN MCCOMB (11-0, 5 KOs)
VS. GAVIN GWYNNE (12-2, 2 KOS)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW5EBJvGaUA
- When: Friday, Feb. 19
- Where: Bolton, England
- TV/Stream: ESPN+
- Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
- At stake: Vacant Commonwealth title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: NA
- Also on the card: DP Carr vs. Dean Dodge, junior lightweights; Darren Tetley vs. Samuel Antwi, welterweight
- Prediction: McComb UD
- Background: McComb, a 28-year-old southpaw, is one of the top young fighters from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He isn’t particularly powerful but he has demonstrated consistently against second-tier opposition that he’s good boxer. He’s coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Siar Ozgul this past August, which was the second scheduled 10-rounder of his career. Gwynne, a 30-year-old Welshman, had been a good prospect but ran into problems in 2019 and last year. He has lost two of his past three bouts, both setbacks coming in British title fights. Joe Cordina outpointed him in August 2019 and James Tennyson stopped him in six rounds a year later. McComb hopes to build on his momentum; Gwynne is fighting to remain relevant.
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MIGUEL BERCHELT (37-1, 33 KOs)
VS. OSCAR VALDEZ (28-0, 22 KOs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPNLEZCyUeo
- When: Saturday, Feb. 20
- Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
- TV/Stream: ESPN
- Division: Junior lightweight (130 pounds)
- At stake: Berchelt’s WBC title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: Berchelt, Honorable Mention
- Odds: Berchelt 3-1 favorite
- Also on the card: Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Jayson Velez, junior lightweights
- Prediction: Berchelt KO 10
- Background: The Mexicans were scheduled to meet in December but the bout was postponed after Berchelt tested positive for COVID-19. Berchelt will be making the seventh defense of the belt he won by stopping Francisco Vargas in the 11th round of a classic brawl in January 2017. The 29-year-old, a terrific boxer who can also end any fight in an instant, has stopped his past five official opponents. He was last in the ring this past June, when he knocked out Eleazar Valenzuela in six rounds in Mexico City. However, the fight wasn’t sanctioned as a result of coronavirus restrictions. Thus, the result is not recognized. Valdez, a 30-year-old who lives in the Los Angeles area, is a former 126-pound beltholder who will be fighting for a 130-pound title for the first time. He’s coming off a solid performance against Jayson Velez this past July, putting the Puerto Rican veteran down three times and stopping him in the 10th and final round. That was his second fight at 130 pounds. Valdez has been training alongside Canelo Alvarez in the camp of Eddy Reyenoso.
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ADRIEN BRONER (33-4-1, 24 KOs)
VS. JOVANIE SANTIAGO (14-0-1, 10 KOs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM9zTdzI98k
- When: Saturday, Feb. 20
- Where: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn.
- TV/Stream: Showtime
- Division: Junior welterweight (140 pounds)
- At stake: No titles
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: Broner 14-1 favorite
- Also on the card: Robert Easter vs. Ryan Martin, junior welterweights; Otto Wallin vs. Dominic Breazeale, heavyweights
- Prediction: Broner KO 7
- Background: Broner garners the attention of a elite athlete but the truth is he hasn’t had success for years. The four-division titleholder hasn’t won a fight since he narrowly outpointed Adrian Granados in February 2017, four years ago. He is 0-2-1 since then, although the losses came against Mikey Garcia (140 pounds) in July 2017 and Manny Pacquiao (147) in January of 2019. He drew with Jessie Vargas between those setbacks. The good news for Broner is that he’s only 31. And he will be fighting Santiago at 140 pounds, at which he won’t be giving away size and strength advantages. Broner will have been out of the ring since the Pacquiao fight, which was more than two years ago. Santiago is a 31-year-old unknown from Puerto Rico. He has a gaudy record but has faced no one of note. His highest-profile victory might’ve been a decision over a faded DeMarcus Corley in 2017. He has won 12 consecutive fights since a draw in his third outing. On the undercard, heavyweights Otto Wallin and Dominic Breazeale hope to position themselves for a title shot. Wallin (21-1, 14 KOs) bounced back from his loss to titleholder Tyson Fury by stopping Travis Kauffman in August. Breazeale (20-2, 18 KOs) is coming off a first-round knockout loss against then-champion Deontay Wilder in May 2019. The Los Angeles-area fighter has failed in two attempts to win a major title.
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DAVID AVANESYAN (26-3-1, 14 KOs)
VS. JOSH KELLY (10-0-1, 6 KOs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQXyDHoQpyw
- When: Saturday, Feb. 20
- Where: SSE Arena, London
- TV/Stream: DAZN
- Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
- At stake: No titles
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: Kelly 1½-1 favorite
- Also on the card: Anthony Fowler vs. Jorge Fortea, junior middleweights; Amy Timlin vs. Carly Skelly, junior featherweights; Florian Marku vs. Rylan Charlton, welterweights
- Prediction: Kelly SD
- Background: Avanesyan, a 32-year-old Armenian-Russian based in the U.K., hopes to bolster his position as a title contender. The pressure fighter is the European welterweight beltholder and is ranked in the Top 10 of all four major sanctioning bodies. He lost to Lamont Peterson and Egidijus Kavaliauskas in a span of three fights in 2017 and 2018 but has scored three consecutive knockouts since, the last against Jose del Rio in December 2019. Kelly, a 26-year-old from England, is at a crossroads. He was a rising prospect until he drew with Ray Robinson in June 2019, a fight many believe the American deserved to win. The 2016 Olympian must prove against Avanesyan that he can compete at a high level if he hopes to contend for a world title one day.
