Fight Week Preview
On another quiet week of pugilism, fight fans can actually get their fix on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The Midweek cards are in the US and the weekend cards will have a little international flair in Canada and Italy.
The action kicks off on PROBOX TV. The series has become a staple for the hardcore fight fan, airing every other Wednesday and filling the gap between big-time weekend fights. In the night's main event, hard-hitting Serbian light heavyweight Radivoje "Hot Rod" Kalajdzic, 27-2 (19), makes one last push at a world title as he takes on slick-moving Brit Mickey Ellison 14-4 (5). It's an absolute most-win fight for each man if they plan on getting back into the title picture at 175. Ellison has won two in a row since his points loss to Charlie Schofield in 2021, which was on the heels of a very disappointing performance in which he was annihilated by Padraig McCrory in one round. Kalajdzic has once challenged for a world title and was stopped by pound-for-pound elite and future hall of famer Artur Beterbiev in 2019 in five one-sided rounds. "Hot Rod" has won three straight since the Beterbiev beat down, including his most recent performance, a first-round stoppage of Ernest Amuzu last May.
In the co-main event undefeated super featherweight, "The Silent Assassin" Charles Foster battles Misael Lopez for the vacant WBA Fedecentro Super Featherweight strap. Lopez has lost two in a row to Edward Vazquez on Showtime Shovbox and then followed that up with being stopped by Sulaiman Segawa in the 10th round in May. Foster is unbeaten 15-0 (9) and will enter the ring for the first time in 2023 after a breakout 2022 that saw him pick up wins over Avery Sparrow and Edwin De Los Santos.
Also on the card is touted Featherweight prospect and Florida native Dominick Valle, who will put his 6-0 (5) record on the line against Damian Alcala 7-2 (1). Also, fan-favorite Filipino slugger Jonas Sultan, 18-6 (11), looks to bounce back from his controversial loss to Paul Butler a year and a half ago as he steps in with Frank Gonzalez.
The action moves to California on Thursday for a second-midweek card. The Golden Boy Live series continues with highly touted but somewhat inactive welterweight prospect Raul Curiel returning to the ring. Curiel sports a record of 12- 0 (10) and emerged in late 2021 when he stopped Kendo Castaneda. He battles rugged veteran and native New Yorker Courtney Pennington 17-6-3 (7). Pennington has tested big names like Patrick Day, Charles Conwell, and James Metcalf. Also on the card is undefeated prospect Jorge Chavez, 7-0 (5), who battles Marvin Solano, Nicaraguan veteran Marvin Solano. Solano has been a stepping stone for names like Jeyvier Cintron and Ramon Cardenas. The card also features 20-year-old lightweight prospect Leonardo Snachez, 5-0 (4) Sanchez captured the attention of hardcore fans after his spectacular performance in May, annihilating Uhlices Avelino-Reyes in two brutally one-sided rounds.
The action moves to Italy on Saturday and can be viewed on the Federazione Pugilistica Italiana YouTube channel. In the evening's main event, Gianluca Picardi, 11-2 (3), battles southpaw Venezuelan Rafael Hernandez for the IBF Mediterranean lightweight title. Picardi last fought in August, bouncing back nicely from his second career loss by scoring a third-round TKO of Maycol Escobar.
The final action of the weekend takes place on Saturday evening and takes place in Quebec, Canada, and Airs on ESPN+ in the Main Event Undefeated Super Middleweight Christian Mbilli 24-0 (20) of France looks to take a major stride forward when he takes on American Demond Nicholson, 26-5-1 (22) for the WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight strap. Nicholson last fought Demetrius Andrade and dropped a unanimous decision back in January. In the co-main event, Canadian fan favorite Steve Claggett battles Carlos Sanchez for the NABF 140-pound strap. Claggett stopped former world champion Alberto Machado in three rounds, just three months ago.
