Here is an overview of the upcoming one action-packed weekend of boxing featuring lots of stars!
Eduardo Hernandez kicks off the weekend on Friday night against compatriot Rene Tellez Giron at Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, QC. "Rocky" returns to the ring following two wins last year over Thomas Mattice and Daniel Lugo, hoping to muscle his way back into super featherweight contention. Giron, on the other hand, aims to redeem himself after a setback versus Floyd Schofield in November. The undercard boasts a heavyweight collision between Canada’s Alexis Barriere and Mexico’s Ubaldo Ilagor Resendiz, plus middleweight Derek Pomerleau taking on England’s Nathan McIntosh, and veteran featherweight Jelena Mrdjenovich facing Italy’s Jessica Bellusci.
Come Saturday, the SSE Arena in Belfast showcases an all-Irish welterweight clash as Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan lock horns. Both are riding hot streaks - Crocker notched impressive 2024 victories over Conah Walker and Jose Felix, while Donovan scored highlight-reel stoppages of Lewis Ritson and Williams Andres Herrera. Local fans also get to see Craig Richards tangle with Padraig McCrory at super middleweight, Kurt Walker meet London’s Leon Woodstock at featherweight, and a cruiserweight battle featuring Tommy McCarthy and Steven Ward.
Also on Saturday, former super lightweight champion Subriel Matias collides with Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela at Coliseo Tomas Dones in Puerto Rico. Matias' high-pressure style and impressive knockout ratio make him a crowd favorite, especially after his second-round TKO of Roberto Ramirez in November. Valenzuela is on a five-fight winning run and looks to make a statement by outboxing the relentless Matias. On the undercard, Alfredo Santiago defends his WBO NABO belt in an all-Dominican affair against former two-division champion Javier Fortuna. Nestor Bravo squares off with South Africa’s Xolisani Ndongeni at super lightweight.
The most high-profile bout of the weekend unfolds at Barclays Center, where three-division champ Gervonta Davis defends his WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach Jr. in a pay-per-view headliner. Davis enters the ring off an eighth-round stoppage of Frank Martin last year, while Roach, a reigning super featherweight titlist, steps up to 135 hoping to dethrone one of boxing’s biggest names. In the co-feature, Jose Valenzuela puts his WBA super lightweight title up against Gary Antuanne Russell, and Dominican Alberto Puello defends his WBC strap versus Spain’s Sandor Martin. A fourth bout sees Cuban rising star Yoenis Tellez face ex-unified champ Julian Williams for an interim belt.
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