Fight Weekend Preview
After a fairly quiet weekend of boxing, the sweet science comes roaring back with a very busy weekend! Fout big cards, three in the US and one in the UK.
The action kicks off on Friday in the US at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. In the night main event, undefeated super featherweight "Prince" Albert Bell, 23-0 (6) puts his "0" on the line against hard-hitting Filipino Presco Carcosia, 11-2-1 (9). A loaded undercard includes an interesting showdown between two one-loss super-middleweights, as Raul Salomon, 12-1 (10), battles Tyler Howard, 19-1 (11). Also on the card is the son of legendary Olympian and former jr middleweight world champion Raul Marquez, Giovanni Marquez., 5-0 (3). He will battle New Jersey native Nicky Vitone, 9-2-1 (7), in a six-round super lightweight bout.
The action moves to the UK two-time former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, 25-3 (22), looks to get back to world championship level as he battles with Robert Helenius, 32-4 (23) of Mariehamn, Finland. Helenius has two wins over Adam Kownacki but was annihilated by Deontay Wilder last year in less than a round. Heis a last-minute replacement for Dillian Whyte, who failed another drug test, will serve as a good litmus test for the former champ. There are two other high-level heavyweight fights on the card. In a battle of undefeated big men. Croatian destroyer Filip Hrgovic, 15-0 (12), battles with slick and massively tall Australian Demsey McKean, 22-0 (14).
The action moves back to the US with two major cards. One takes place in Maryland at the MGM National Harbor. In the evening's main event, former Bantamweight world champion Manny Rodriguez, 21-2 (13), looks to become a two-time world champion as he battles Melvin Lopez, 29-1 (19) of Nicaragua, for the vacant IBF 118-pound title. Rodriguez, who lost his world title to Naoya Inoue via second-round KO in 2019, scored perhaps the best win of his career last October by taking a TD over Gary Antonio Russell. In the evening's co-main event, undefeated hometown hero Travon Marshall, 8-0 (7), takes the biggest test of his young and promising career when he steps in with Gabriel Maestre, 5-0-1 (4), who is coming off a highly impressive and career-best win stopping Devin Alexander in three one-sided rounds. Also on the card are all-world prospects Michael Angelletti and Gary Antuanne Russell. An intriguing cruiserweight bout is also on the docket as NYC native Marcus Browne, 24-2 (16) takes on surging Dallas-based cruiserweight Adrian Taylor, 13-1-1 (5), who has not fought since his amazing performance in taking apart Efe Apochi on the undercard of Spence-Ugas last April.
The biggest card of the week takes place at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. As Emmanuel Navarrete puts the WBO Super Featherweight belt, he won against Liam Wilson back in February against Oscar Valdez, 31-2 (23). Valdez bounced back nicely from his first career loss, a lopsided points loss to Shakur Steveson, by beating Adam Lopez on points. Fan favorite Mexican KO artist Lindolfo Delgado, 17-0 (13) will battle fellow Mexican 140-pounder Jair Valtierra. The undercard features Olympian Richard Torrez Jr and massive giant 6'10 Antonio Mireles in heavyweight bouts.
