This weekend’s TV Boxing Schedule isn’t going to blow your socks off exactly, but it ain’t alf’ bad if you’re a fan of all-action poster boys. A Middleweight juggernaut is back in action, an underappreciated Flyweight ruler, a fan-favorite Junior Featherweight, plus the usual roster of up-and-comers.
Tuesday, April 19th
Redkach vs Cruz
Aleem vs Cepeda
Fox Sports 1 – 9:00pm EDT
This looks like another decent mid-week PBC on Fox Sports 1 card. Junior Welterweight Ivan Redkach will be looking to continue rebuilding since getting crushed by Dejan Zlaticanin last June. Redkach returned to winning ways after taking out Erick Daniel Martinez in 3 last October, and will be clashing with a beatable yet capable opponent in Luis Cruz. Middleweight prospect Immanwel Aleem will face Jonathan Cepeda in the night’s co-feature.
Friday, April 22nd
Bundu vs Koivula
SportItalia (ITA) – 3:30pm EDT
Solid fringe-contender Leonard Bundu, probably best known for going the distance with Keith Thurman in 2014, is continuing to fight on at the age of 41, clashing with Jussi Koivula in a Welterweight 12-rounder. The vacant European strap will be on the line.
Saturday, April 23rd
Donaire vs Bedak
Magsayo vs Avalos
ABS-CBN Sports+Action (PHI)
WBO Junior Featherweight champ Nonito Donaire will be squaring off against Zsolt Bedak, a fairly decent fighter who probably shouldn’t present too many challenges. Donaire is still a force of sorts, but has his best days behind him, however, so you never know quite what might happen here. Donaire did go life and death with Cesar Juarez – a supposedly overmatched foe – in his last outing, after all. Donaire is still exciting to watch, and a first-ballot future Hall of Famer no less, so boxing heads will want to tune in while he’s still around.
Unbeaten Featherweight upstart Mark Magsayo will be taking on Chris Avalos in an intriguing co-feature. Both can bang, and even though Avalos has mostly come up short on the biggest stages of his career, he should present a stern enough test for Magsayo.
Golovkin vs Wade
Gonzalez vs Arroyo
HBO, Boxnation – 10:00pm EDT, 02:00am GMT
Middleweight wrecking ball Gennady Golovkin will be defending his WBA and IBF titles against Dominic Wade in the main event. While Wade, also a fellow unbeaten, has the odds stacked against him, you’ve got to respect him for taking on such a formidable challenge in just his nineteenth ring outing as a pro. I don’t need to tell you there’s plenty of 160-pounders out there who’d prefer to face ‘other fighters’.
Wade’s record is fairly lean in terms of opposition, but he isn’t a complete no-hoper. Wade has some pretty long levers on him, with a wingspan four-and-a-half inches longer than Golovkin’s at 74.5, which is…well, it’s no bad thing. The Maryland fighter is also in his prime at 26, and managed to win a Split Decision over ex-champ Sam Soliman last June. And that’s all I’ve really got to whet your appetite for Golovkin vs Wade.
‘GGG’ will be coming in off a bonafide crossover win over then-IBF champ David Lemieux last October, and moving towards a Canelo Alvarez mega fight hopefully destined for late 2016 or sometime next year. Assuming Wade doesn’t upset things, that is. The night’s co-feature is a little more competitive on paper, with McWilliams Arroyo aiming to hand Boxing Base’s top Pound-for-Pounder Roman Gonzalez his first defeat.
Boxing Base will have Live Coverage of the Golovkin vs Wade card right here, plus the Round by Round variety over on Twitter (@BoxingBase). Be sure to join us.
Esperante vs Esperanza
TyC Sports (ARG) – 10:00pm EDT
Leandro David Esperante will be locking horns with Ramon Elizer Esperanza in a Junior Featherweight 10-rounder.
Cuadras vs Mepranum
Knight vs Rodriguez
Televisia – 11:00pm EDT
WBC Junior Bantamweight champ Carlos Cuadras will be defending his accolade against Richie Mepranum. Should Cuadras win he’ll be considered the numero uno 115-pounder on the world scene or, at the very least, the only man truly rubbing shoulders with Naoya Inoue. This encounter will come as Cuadras’ fifth title defense. Junior Bantamweights Ava Knight and Judith Rodriguez will be providing chief support, with Knight no doubt considered the favorite going in.
Give us your thoughts on Golovkin vs Wade, Gonzalez vs Arroyo, plus the rest of the weekend’s TV Schedule in the comments. Are victories for the A-sides a mere formality here, or is there a surprise or two lurking in the cards?
