We didn’t quite have the headline bonanza of Canelo and Jake Paul drama as we did last week, but we had more in-ring action this week and plenty of news bits outside the ring, too.
Let’s go over the week, with some help from our community!
Keyshawn goes gold, or whatever metal is on the WBO belt
The biggest story is the first world title victory for Keyshawn Davis, who knocked out Denys Berinchyk on body shots on Friday night to claim the WBO lightweight title.
The build to Berinchyk vs Keyshawn was pretty gross, whether it was legitimate, staged, or some third option, all things entirely possible, this being boxing and all, and probably added exactly $0 to the enterprise in the end.
Fans were impressed with Davis (13-0, 9 KO), as the one-time blue chipper seems to have really put it all together, and is looking like the elite fighter he was hoped to be. Future fights are starting to bubble in everyone’s minds, though with the normal concerns for limitations.
Arnold Barboza Jr beats Catterall on the road
We had another big fight on Saturday from Manchester, England, where Arnold Barboza Jr nicked his way past Jack Catterall in a meeting of top 140 lb contenders.
Catterall vs Barboza always figured to be far more technical and chess match-like than some exciting, back-and-forth affair, and, well, that’s what we got. I couldn’t really find it dull or disappointing, since it was exactly the fight I expected, but in a very basic sense, yes, it was kind of a dull fight.
Barboza won a split decision, and I thought all three judges actually scored a tight, competitive fight very fairly, and that two of them did in fact get it exactly right, in that they also scored it 115-113 for Barboza, as I had, and obviously I’m always right. Never had a bad card in my life, me.
The win netted Barboza (32-0, 11 KO) the interim WBO super lightweight title, and in theory a waiting shot at Teofimo Lopez, or if not, a waiting elevation when Teofimo Lopez vacates or gets stripped.
Worth noting that several of you did disagree with me and just didn’t think the fight was very close at all.
Another big “Bam” fight on the horizon
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has been one of the most exciting young stars in boxing over the last couple of years, and it looks like he’s headed into another big time fight.
Rodriguez, who holds the WBC super flyweight title, is reportedly negotiating with WBA titleholder Fernando Martinez for a unification. It’s a fight that would pit the top two guys at 115 lbs, and give the 25-year-old “Bam” a stern test — at least on paper — against a fighter who looks still in top form at 33, and who beat the great veteran Kazuto Ioka in his last outing.
Still, some think Rodriguez is set to dominate Martinez on the style matchup. Elsewhere in the division, Phumelela Cafu and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez are also reportedly in talks for a title fight.
More from this week:
- It wasn’t a big, marquee show, but Oscar Duarte stopped late sub opponent Miguel Madueno in seven blood-filled rounds in Saturday night’s Golden Boy main event. As promoter Oscar De La Hoya noted, Duarte stopping Madueno means Duarte did something that the previously mentioned Keyshawn Davis did not do given 10 rounds to try. It doesn’t mean everything, of course, but it sure doesn’t mean nothing, as far as marketing and moving Duarte toward a world title chance.
- Queensberry Promotions announced a slate of new shows that will kick off their full partnership with DAZN, including Dillian Whyte vs Joe Joyce from Manchester on April 5. They’ll also have Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood in May, as well as Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman on another date that same month. Joyce is excited for the chance to revitalize his career against the veteran contender Whyte.
- Bruno Surace will rematch Jaime Munguia on May 3, in the chief support for the Canelo vs Scurll card in Saudi Arabia. You will remember that Surace scored the 2024 Upset of the Year over Munguia on Dec. 14 in Tijuana. Or maybe you won’t remember. I don’t know you all personally. This might be your third week as a boxing fan. If so, hello and good luck on your journey!
- PBC will have a non-PPV Prime Video card on Mar. 22, with Sebastian Fundora finally returning to defend his 154 lb titles against Chordale Booker.
- Zaur Abdullaev and Raymond Muratalla look likely to meet for an interim belt at 135 on May 10 in San Diego.
- After a surprisingly competitive first fight, William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer will rematch on Mar. 29 in Cancun. The top lightweights are pretty busy, and Zepeda will hope to do better against Farmer’s style in a second go. The first fight was a good one and there’s nothing really better for Zepeda to do right now, plus there’s obviously some risk there, it’s a fine fight to make.
- Daniel Dubois has plenty on his plate with Joseph Parker on Feb. 22, but promoter Frank Warren already has his eye on a potential rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
- The big Feb. 22 Riyadh Season card, headlined by the Beterbiev vs Bivol rematch, is almost here! That’ll be our big topic next week, obviously. The main eventers have been pretty low-key, which is normal for both of them, but we’ve heard some thoughts this week from Vergil Ortiz Jr (who is set to face Israil Madrimov) and Joseph Parker, who himself is perhaps a win away from facing Oleksandr Usyk, if he can beat Daniel Dubois and continue what has really been a career-best run.
- Former featherweight titlist Luis Alberto Lopez will start his comeback trail on Mar. 29 in Mexico.
- Top prospect Ben Whittaker gets his first pro main event in an Apr. 20 rematch with Liam Cameron, an incredible turn of events. May be the first time a top prospect has stunk so bad in a routine step up the ladder that the rematch turns into that guy’s first main event.
- Edgar Berlanga will fight on the Austin Williams vs Patrice Volny undercard on Mar. 15 at that venue in Orlando where CBS Sports Network used to run shows. Boy, that’s a hell of a dip from headlining a pay-per-view with Canelo Alvarez, huh? Really makes ya think.