Fight Week Preview: 11/13-19
After what amounted to a no-show week for the sweet science fight-hardcore will be rewarded with a non-stop week of boxing. With Cards on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all in North America, and then two Saturday cards with one on each side of the Atlantic.
The action starts in Canada on a Tuesday at the Montreal Casino, as Steve Claggett, 36-7-2 (25), steps in with Mexican contender Miguel Madueno 30-1 (28). Claggett is having a resurgence in 2023, with three wins already this calendar year, stopping Rafael Guzman Lugo and Alberto Mercado and outclassing and unboxing Carlos Sanchez in September. It will be another quick turnaround as he battles Madueno, who has won three in a row and all by stoppage since his 2022 loss to former world title holder Jezzrel Corrales. He last fought in July and stopped an 11-34-3 (1) named Edgar Daniel Ahumada. The card also features Canadian fan favorite Steve Butler 32-4-1, (26), who was stopped by Zhanibek Alimkhanuly for the WBO Super Middleweight strap in his last outing in May. He will take a tune-up with Ivan Alvarez 32-14-4 (21), who beat Damon Sosa in his last fight in April.
The action moved to Florida for the Return of PROBOX TV, and Guido Schramm, 16-1-2 (9), is looking to come back from his draw with Paul Kroll in August and will battle with the dangerous and experienced Johan Gonzalez 33-2 (33). Gonzalez has knocked out every opponent he has faced, including in his most recent bout against Ricardo Ruben Villalba in August, also on PROBOX. The undercard features Justin Pauldo, 16-1 (7), who last fought and outpointed Eduardo Estela also on PROBOX, and takes on Jerry Perez, 14-3-1 (11), who gave a valiant effort against former world champ JoJo Diaz in San Antonio this summer. There's also an intriguing matchup of a rugged veteran as Kilrain Kelly of Ireland, 27-3 (10), battles Juan Jose Velasco in a 10-round middleweight affair. Velasco has been stopped by world champions Mario Barrios and Regis Prograis at 140.
We get the week's biggest card on Thursday for the vacant WBO Middleweight title as Shakur Stevenson, a former feather and super featherweight title holder, looks to become a three-division world champion as he puts his perfect 20-0 (10) record on the line against rugged Dominican contender Edwin De Los Santos, 16-1 (14), De Los Santos has won three in a row since losing to William Foster III in early 2022. He most recently fought Joseph Adorno and dominated Adorno over ten lopsided rounds in July in Atlantic City. The co-main event is another thrilling fight between WBO Super Featherweight title holder Emanuel Navarette, 38-1 (31), who is coming off a career-best performance against Oscar Valdez in August and takes on former Olympic Gold Medalist Robson Conceicao of Brazil. Conceciao won a gold medal in 2016. He lost to Shakur Stevenson in 2022 and had to settle for a No Contest with Nicholas Polanco at Madison Square Garden this summer. The card also features touted prospects Brian Norman, Floyd Diaz, and Abdullah Mason in step-up fights.
The weekend action kicks off on Saturday in the UK as Denzel Bentley returns fresh off his KO victory over Kieran Smith to battle unbeaten prospect Nathan Heaney, 17-0 (6), at the Manchester Arena. Heaney has scored back-to-back victories over Jack Flatley in late 2022 and 2023. Bentley sports a record of 18-2-1 (15) and has had an up-and-down career that usually ends in a knockout. He was stopped by Felix Cash in three rounds and has scored a KO in 15 of his 18 wins. The chief support Vincenzo La Femina of Italy puts his 13-0 (7) against Liam Davies 14-0 (6) in a battle of unbeaten. The Italian last fought in June and stopped Geram Eloyan in 8-rounds. Davies scored the best win of his career stopping Jason Cunningham in the first round in July. Also, two little men will bang it out in what promises to be a thrilling fight as Nick Ball, 18-0 (11), battles former 122-pound world champ Isaac Dogboe, 24-3 (15), in a 12-round featherweight.
In the final card, Diego Pacheco, 19-0 (16), battles Marcelo Coceres, 32-5-1 (18) of Argentina in the 10-round main event at the YouTube Theatre in Inglewood, California. Pacheco last fought in Mexico in July and stopped Manuel Gallegos in four. Coceres last fought in his home nation and stopped Leonel Eduardo Avila in the second round back in May. The card also features former world super flyweight champion Kal Yafai, 27-1 (15), battles Jonathan Rodriguez, 16-1-1 (6), who is coming off a sensational win over Marvin Solano via UD back in August. Also on the card is all-world prospect Marc Castro, 10-0 (7), who will step up and take his first 10-round fight and battle Gonzalo Fuenzalida 12-2 (3), who is best known for being stopped by Claudio Marrero in the Alamodome earlier this year.
