Much of February has been pretty dry in terms of mainstream fights, but that’s all about to change this weekend. Frampton vs Quigg is arguably the biggest fight on people’s lips – and with good reason – but there’s plenty of other high-brow action to feast your eyes on. Join us for the lowdown on a packed TV boxing schedule.
February 26th
Castillo vs Baez
TyC Sports (ARG)
Junior Featherweights Alan Isaias Luques Castillo and Lucas Rafael Baez will be trading leather in a 10-rounder.
Cartagena vs Rodriguez
Telemundo
Junior Featherweights Miguel Cartagena and Ricardo Rodriguez will be locking horns in a 10-rounder.
February 27th
Pagara vs Talavera, Magsayo vs Montoya
Sky PPV (PH)
This is a mostly prospect-laden and somewhat predictable card, but worth a watch given rising contenders Albert Pagara and Mark Magsayo are set for big things in 2016. Well, assuming all goes to plan on the night, that is. Pagara will be taking on Yesner Talavera in a Junior Featherweight, with Magsayo meeting Eduardo Montoya at Featherweight on the undercard.
Chuprakov vs Akhundo
BoxingTV (RUS)
Evgeny Chuprakov is a Junior Lightweight upstart who will be looking to climb the ranks in 2016. Chuprakov looks to be the real deal and shouldn’t have too many problems getting past opponent Timur Akhundov.
Frampton vs Quigg, McDonnell vs Sanchez
Sky Sports Box Office, Showtime
While I can’t promise fireworks, Frampton vs Quigg has the makings of a barnburner on paper. These are two unbeaten Junior Featherweight titlists who, judging by the animosity-filled press conferences, seem to despise each to no end. Seriously, even promoters Eddie Hearn and Barry McGuigan seem to have beef with one another.
Despite having a shaky start against Alejandro Gonzalez last July, Frampton is sharp, explosive and fan-friendly, as is the vicious Quigg. Both men have claimed the scalp of pressure-house Kiko Martinez (Frampton by UD 12 and KO 9, Quigg by KO 2), and should put on a thriller at the weekend. The only man at 122 pounds with a clear edge in skill over this pair looks to be Guillermo Rigondeaux. So it would seem the winner of Frampton vs Quigg is naturally on a collision course with the slick Cuban later this year.
Going in, Frampton holds the IBF title, and Quigg the WBA version. Chief support will see Gavin McDonnell and Jorge Sanchez getting it on in a WBC Junior Featherweight title eliminator.
Boxing Base will have Live Coverage plus the Round by Round variety on Twitter (@BoxingBase).
Huck vs Afolabi IV, Braekhus vs Namus
Boxnation, RTL (DEU)
There’s been plenty of boxing trilogies throughout history but not so many quadrilogies (OK, technically that’s not a word). Marco Huck and Ola Afolabi will be beginning round 37 when they step into the ring once again, and we can expect to see another back-and-forth, fan-friendly Cruiserweight scrap. No titles will be on the line (well, unless you’re an advocate of Afolabi’s IBO strap).
The score is currently 2-0-1, with Huck winning two razor-thin decisions over Afolabi in 2009 and 2013, and having to settle for a draw in 2012. Huck was stopped by Krzysztof Glowacki in a Fight of the Year candidate last August, and Afolabi arguably earned himself another shot at bettering Huck by stopping Rakhim Chakhkiev in a big upset in November.
Standout Cecilia Braekhus will be defending her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO titles against Chris Namus in the chief support. Braekhus looks to be pretty unstoppable right now, but I guess there’s still considerable pressure to perform when defending every major title known to man (or should that be woman?). Obviously well worth a watch.
Boxing Base will have Live Coverage including the Round by Round variety on Twitter (@BoxingBase).
Crawford vs Lundy, Verdejo vs Silva
HBO, Boxnation
Boxing sensation Terence Crawford is yet to put a foot wrong in his pro career, and it’s pretty likely he’ll topple Hank Lundy with relative ease. For what it’s worth, Lundy is an exciting fighter to watch, so you never know, we could be in for a firework or two in this one. Crawford’s WBO Junior Welterweight title will be on the line.
Though Felix Verdejo’s opponent William Silva is unbeaten, this Lightweight matchup looks kinda’ similar to the headliner – but more forgivable given Verdejo is still a bonafide prospect. Just because Silva hasn’t claimed a big scalp doesn’t mean he’s in for a beating, however. We’ll soon see what he brings to the table.
Boxing Base will have Live Coverage and the Round by Round variety on Twitter (@BoxingBase).
Santa Cruz vs Martinez, Ceja vs Ruiz, Washington vs Rivas
Showtime
Leo Santa Cruz’s second WBA Featherweight title defense probably won’t be the hardest of his career, but it’s hard to count out Spain’s Kiko Martinez given his tenacity and raw power. No one’s expecting an upset here, but stylistically this could be a good matchup. Martinez, who is a three-time victim of Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg, will be looking to re-enter the mix.
There’s a couple of tasty appetizers on the card, with Junior Featherweights Julio Ceja and Hugo Ruiz set to trade blows in a much-anticipated rematch. Their original August 2015 encounter was a mini-classic with both men suffering knockdowns before Ceja secured victory in the 5th round via TKO. If you like firepower, this one’s for you.
Beforehand, unbeaten Heavyweights Gerald Washington and Oscar Rivas will be taking lumps out of each other. Both are considered decent prospects, and so naturally the winner be geared toward some notable opposition in the near future. Now that’s a triple-header card worth a look in.
Abalos vs Alcoba
TyC Sports (ARG)
Middleweights Claudio Ariel Abalos and Noe Gonzalez Alcoba will meet in a 12-rounder for the South American Middleweight strap.
What’s your take on this weekend’s TV boxing Schedule, folks? Plus what are your picks for Frampton vs Quigg, Crawford vs Lundy and Santa Cruz vs Martinez?
