FIGHT WEEK
A look at the coming week in capsules
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EIMANTAS STANIONIS (10-0, 7 KOs)
VS. JUSTIN DELOACH (19-4, 10 KOs)
When: Wednesday, Nov. 4
Where: Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles
TV: Fox Sports 1
Division: Welterweight (10 rounds)
At stake: Nothing
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Chordale Booker vs. Sanny Duversonne, eight rounds, super middleweights; Kent Cruz vs. Erik Humberto Castillo, eight rounds, lightweights
Prediction: Stanionis UD
Background: Stanionis, a 2016 Olympian for his native Lithuania, is a talented 147-pound prospect. The 26-year-old, who is based in Southern California, rebounded from a hand injury in May of last year to stop journeyman Evincii Dixon five months later and Julio Cesar Sanchez in December, which is the last time he fought. DeLoach represents a step up in opposition for Stanionis. The tall, lean Augusta, Georgia fighter lost three of four fights from 2017 through last year but it’s not as bad as it sounds. He was stopped by Nathaniel Gallimore but went the distance with Jeison Rosario in a competitive fight and lost a split decision against unbeaten Terrel Williams. He then returned from a 16-month layoff to stop Livan Navarro in the first round on Aug. 22, his most-recent fight. He obviously doesn’t have Stanionis’ pedigree but he’s a solid all-around fighter with experience.
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DEVIN HANEY (24-0, 15 KOs) VS.
YURIORKIS GAMBOA (30-3, 18 KOs)
When: Saturday, Nov. 7
Where: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Fla.
TV: DAZN
Division: Lightweight (12 rounds)
At stake: Haney’s secondary WBC title (Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize secondary belts)
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Zhilei Zhang vs. Devin Vargas, heavyweights; Filip Hrgovic vs. Rydell Booker, heavyweights
Prediction: Haney UD
Background: Haney, one of the most-dynamic young fighters in the world, has been out of the ring since he shut out Alfredo Santiago in November of last year. He has had some ups and downs since then. He had surgery in December to repair his dislocated right shoulder, suffered in the Santiago fight. The WBC changed his secondary status from “champion” to “champion in recess” as a result of his surgery only to restore him to full status after the coronavirus shut down the sport. Now “The Dream” is eager to get back to fighting. He talks about eventually facing the top 135-pounders — including Teofimo Lopez, Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia — on a path he hopes will lead him to superstardom. First he must get past Gamboa, the 38-year-old 2004 Olympic gold medalist who had had some success before COVID-19 took hold. He is coming off a 12th-round KO loss to Davis in December, which was impressive in the sense that he survived as long as he did even though he claims to have injured his Achilles tendon. This is a nice test for Haney but this version of Gamboa is not a significant threat.
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LUIS ORTIZ (31-2, 26 KOs) VS.
ALEXANDER FLORES (18-2-1, 16 KOs)
When: Saturday, Nov. 7
Where: Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles
TV: Fox
Division: Heavyweight
At stake: Nothing
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Frank Sanchez vs. Brian Howard, 10 rounds, heavyweights; Michael Coffie vs. Joey Abell, eight rounds, heavyweights
Prediction: Ortiz KO 4
Background: Ortiz will be fighting for the first time since Deontay Wilder stopped him with a single right hand in the seventh round of their rematch in November of last year. The Cuban, a good, experienced boxer with power, was effective for six-plus rounds – he was leading on all three cards — but the ending was brutal, as he was too discombobulated to beat the count. And remember: Wilder also stopped Ortiz in their first fight. Now he’s 41 and perhaps making one last run at big-money fights and a final shot at a world title. Flores, a Los Angeles-area fighter, shouldn’t be much of a test for Ortiz. He has had success against second-tier opposition on small shows but failed the two times he stepped up in class, getting knocked out by Charles Martin in four rounds and Joseph Parker in three. The 30-year-old is coming off a sixth-round stoppage of journeyman Mario Heredia in November of last year. Don’t blink. This one might not last long.
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