This week’s Boxing TV Schedule & Fight Times has plenty on offer. Terry Flanagan will be headlining a stacked Manchester card, while uber-talented Vasyl Lomachenko will be looking to ascend the Pound for Pound ladder in Maryland. Let’s dive in. (For an extensive look at 2017, head on over to our Complete Boxing Schedule)
Friday, April 4
Cherry vs Douglas
Frank De Alba vs Ryan Kielczweski
Fox Sports 1 – 9:00pm ET, 1:00am (Wednesday) GMT
In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, hard-nosed veteran Edgar Cherry will take on young sorta-prospect Omar Douglas. This is a decent scrap on paper, and one that isn’t completely insignificant for the Lightweight scene. Cherry lost a Split Decision to Jose Pedraza in 2015, but rebounded with a solid win over Haskell Rhodes in 2016. Douglas picked up his first blemish that same year against Javier Fortuna, but managed to drop his conqueror en route to a close Unanimous Decision.
De Alba vs Kielczweski is a sound Junior Welterweight appetizer. Well, considering it’s a Tuesday night.
Saturday, April 8
Flanagan vs Petrov
Liam Williams vs Liam Smith, Zolani Tete, Arthur Villanueva, Jack Catterall vs Martin Gethin, Jimmy Kelly vs Rick Godding
Boxnation, BT, beIN – 12:30 ET, 5:30pm GMT
WBO Lightweight titlist Terry Flanagan will top a very busy Frank Warren card in Manchester. Flanagan isn’t in with a destroyer exactly, but Petr Petrov is at least a notable step-up from previous challengers Mzonke Fana and Orlando Cruz. Liam Smith, who suffered a crushing yet valiant defeat to Canelo Alvarez last September, will continue his Junior Middleweight comeback, here against an ambitious European champ in Liam Williams.
Zolani Tete will hope to edge himself closer a Bantamweight title shot, and should be in worthy company against Arthur Villanueva. Junior Welterweight climber Jack Catterall shouldn’t have too many problems with battler Martin Gethin. Junior Middleweight Jimmy Kelly, who gave Liam Smith a good fight in 2015, will take on Rick Godding, while Nicola Adams makes the pro game transition against Flyweight foe Virginia Noemi Carcamo.
Lomachenko vs Sosa
Oleksandr Usyk vs Michael Hunter, Oleksandr Gvodzyk vs Yunieski Gonzalez
Boxnation, HBO – 8:00pm ET, 3:00am (Sunday) GMT
In Maryland, Vasyl Lomachenko (BB’s No.2 Jr Lightweight, No.7 P4P) will make the third defense of his WBO strap. Gnarly banger Jason Sosa represents a grueling test for most 130-pounders out there, but the threat level should be relatively low for Lomachenko. I say that with no disrespect to Sosa; the guy’s a world-class fighter, it’s just that he’ll be in with a formidable technician on Saturday.
Although Lomachenko’s eight-fight slate includes highlight-reel outings against Gary Russell Jr, Roman Martinez and Nicholas Walters, Sosa is actually no slouch. Well, at least on paper. Sosa fought to a Draw against Walters in 2015, and bagged strong wins over Javier Fortuna and Stephen Smith last year. So, being optimistic, if Sosa can land, makes things physical, who knows?
Chief support will see Cruiserweight elite Oleksandr Usyk lock horns with Michael Hunter, a former Wladimir Klitschko sparring partner who’s twelve fights into his pro career. Obviously Hunter isn’t the best challenge out there for Usyk. Hell, no. But Hunter, while not a decorated Amateur, has good experience on the unpaid circuit, and could, maybe, make things a tad interesting. And that’s a big ‘maybe’ since Hunter is unproven at Cruiser, and fought at Heavyweight for his first nine fights.
Oleksandr Gvozdyk is a legitimate Cruiserweight contender, and could well be a near-future dance partner for Usyk. First, Gvozdyk will have to take care of Yunieski Gonzalez, a hard-hitting tank who’s looking to re-inflate his career following back-to-back defeats to Jean Pascal and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in 2016. Personally, I think Gonzalez came across those two guys way too early.
Anyway, Gvozdyk vs Gonzalez is a solid fight, and well worth checking out, even if you’re only tuning in to keep an eye on Gvozdyk who had a stellar 2016, knocking out Nadjib Mohammedi, Tommy Karpency and Isaac Chilemba. The undercard will also feature a couple of undefeated contenders, with Jesse Hart facing Alan Campa at Super Middleweight, and Mike Reed facing Reyes Sanchez at Junior Welter.
What matchups are you craving most in this week’s TV Boxing Schedule? How do you see Lomachenko vs Sosa, Flanagan vs Petrov, plus the rest of the action playing out?
