WBO Lightweight champ Terry Flanagan will be taking on challenger Diego Magdaleno on October 10th at the Manchester Arena, England. Flanagan (28-0, 11 KO) captured the strap in July against Jose Zepeda, though under unsatisfying circumstances. Flanagan was outshining his foe in the short-lived 2-rounder, for what it’s worth, and became the victor after Zepeda dislocated his shoulder.
Flanagan will be making his first defense in his hometown city, and will be looking to prove he really does belong at world level. Magdaleno (28-1, 12 KO) has just the one defeat on his record – a Split decision to Roman Martinez at 130 pounds in 2013 – but is 5-0 (3 KO) in his latest ring visits. The Las Vegas fighter most recently stopped Jose Gonzalez in the 7th round.
Also featuring on the card will be Liam Smith vs Michel Soro, which will see the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight title up for grabs. The undefeated Smith, a former British and Commonwealth champ, will be looking to bring home the title to the Smith family. And that family is filled with pugilists.
Paul Smith suffered a recent loss to Andre Ward, and younger brothers Callum and Stephen are both quality operators in their own promising careers. If Liam can bring home the gold, he will be the first to do so.
But a victory for the Smith family is far from written on the wall. France’s Soro is arguably the bigger puncher, and is the more experienced on paper. Soro may have failed to capture the same WBO title from Zaurbek Baysangruv back in 2012, but he has since bounced back with eye-catching wins over prospect Glen Tapia and European champ Emanuele Blandamura.
The Manchester card will also now feature Andy Lee vs Billy Joe Saunders after the pair had to reschedule their meeting. Their encounter was originally set to headline in Limerick, Ireland, and could perhaps be moved to the top of this bill. Stay tuned for an update of how this card will play out.
So there it is. Three potentially competitive world title bouts, and all on the same card. This could be one hell of a night for British boxing. Give us your thoughts on the Terry Flanagan clash, plus the night’s other bouts.
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