FIGHT WEEK
Title fights featuring Joseph Diaz Jr., Joe Smith Jr. and Patrick Teixeira highlight busy weekend of boxing
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JOE SMITH JR. (26-3, 21 KOs) VS.
MAXIM VLASOV (45-3, 26 KOS)
- When: Saturday, Feb. 13
- Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
- TV/Stream: ESPN
- Division: Light heavyweight (175 pounds)
- At stake: Vacant WBO title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: Smith 3-1 favorite
- Also on the card: Richard Commey vs. Jackson Marinez, 10 rounds, lightweights; Adam Lopez vs. Jason Sanchez, 10 rounds, featherweights
- Prediction: Smith KO 9
- Background: Smith will be fighting for a major title for the second time, after losing a wide decision to Dmitry Bivol in March 2019. The hard puncher from Long Island, N.Y., bounced back from that disappointment to record two impressive victories, a split decision over Jesse Hart in January of last year and a ninth-round knockout of Eleider Alvarez the following August that earned him a shot at the belt. Smith, 31, burst onto the scene by stopping Andrzej Fonfara and Bernard Hopkins in consecutive fights in 2016. Vlasov, a 34-year-old Russian, will be fighting for a world title for the first time. He has seen action 13 times in the U.S. but has lost his biggest fights here, decisions against Issac Chilemba, Gilberto Ramirez and Krzysztof Glowacki. Vlasov has won three consecutive fights since the Glowacki setback, including a wide decision over Chilemba in their rematch. He last fought in November 2019, a shutout decision over Emmanuel Martey. Vlasov has never been stopped.
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JOSEPH DIAZ JR. (31-1, 15 KOs) VS.
SHAVKATDZHON RAKHIMOV (15-0, 12 KOS)
- When: Saturday, Feb. 13
- Where: Fantasy Springs, Indio, Calif.
- TV/Stream: DAZN
- Division: Junior lightweight (130 pounds)
- At stake: Diaz’s IBF title
- Pound-for-poundranking: None
- Odds: Diaz 2-1 favorite
- Also on the card: Patrick Teixeira vs. Brian Castano, junior middleweights (for Teixeira’s WBO title), Ronny Rios vs. Oscar Negrete, junior featherweights; Jason Quigley vs. Shane Mosley Jr., middleweights
- Prediction: Smith KO 9
- Background: Diaz is coming off his breath-through victory, a unanimous decision over Tevin Farmer to win a major 130-pound title in January of last year. The 2012 U.S. Olympian had lost to 126-pound champ Gary Russell Jr. in his only other title shot. Diaz, 28, has won five consecutive fights since that setback. Rakhimov is a 26-year-old former amateur standout from Tajikistan. He is coming off an eight-round knockout of Azinga Fuzile in September 2019 in South Africa, his only fight outside Russia. This is Rakhimov’s first world title fight. In the co-feature, Patrick Teixeira (31-1, 22 KOs) last fought in November 2019, when he narrowly outpointed Carlos Adames to win the WBO “interim” title. The Brazilian was later elevated to full champion. Castano (16-0-1, 12 KOs) is coming off a fifth-round stoppage of Wale Omotoso in November 2019. He recently gave strong performances against Michel Soro (SD victory) Erislandy Lara (SD draw) to move into the WBO’s No. 1 position at junior middleweight.
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JOSH WARRINGTON (30-0, 7 KOs)
VS. MAURICIO LARA (21-2, 14 KOS)
- When: Saturday, Feb. 13
- Where: Wembley Arena, London
- TV/Stream: DAZN
- Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
- At stake: No titles
- Pound-for-poundranking: None
- Odds: Warrington 13½-1 favorite
- Also on the card: Leigh Wood vs. Reece Mould, featherweights (for vacant British title); Zelfa Barrett vs. Kiko Martinez, junior lightweights
- Prediction: Warrington UD
- Background: Warrington gave up his IBF featherweight title after the sanctioning body rejected a unification bout with WBA secondary beltholder Xu Can. The excellent technician from Leeds, England, is on a streak of impressive victories, including decisions over Lee Selby (2018), Carl Frampton (2018) and Kid Galahad (2019). The 30-year-old stopped Sofiane Takoucht in October 2019, his most-recent fight. Warrington reportedly is still pursuing a meeting with Can. Lara, 22, is a relative unknown from Mexico City who has never fought outside Latin America and is taking a big step up in opposition. Hence the wide odds in Warrington’s favor. Lara last fought this past December, when he easily outpointed journeyman Sergio Puente in Monterrey, Mexico. Warrington vs. Lara is a scheduled 10-rounder.
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