Main Event Danny Jacobs vs Sergey Deravyenchenko
IBF Middleweight Title
-This, in my opinion, will be a very interesting fight. A lot of people are looking past Deravyenchenko and already putting Jacobs in with Canelo in May in a super fight. That is a big mistake. Deravyenchenko is a legit top 10, maybe top 5 middleweight who will be coming to fight. Jacobs will need to be on his A game to win.
Another interesting aspect of this fight is the fact that they have sparred over 300 rounds together in the gym. This means there probably will be very little feeling out because they already know each other. From the opening bell I expect them to try to impose their will on the other guy.
Jacobs was a top amateur who has transferred that success to the pros. His story is well documented having beat Cancer and come back from a bad KO loss to become one of the bigger names in boxing. A big KO win over Peter Quillin and a close decision loss to GGG are the two highlights of his pro career. And just for the record I feel he did lose the GGG fight. He got backed up the whole fight, out jabbed and dropped. Competitive, yes but in my eyes he did not do enough to win. The only other real legit middleweight he fought was Dmitry Pirog who knocked Jacobs out. For all the hype surrounding Jacobs I feel his level of competition has been very weak for the position he is in. His last two fights have gone the distance against blown up junior middleweights and he also has two wins over Sergio Mora who dropped Jacobs in one of them. I feel he is a very good fighter with good power, good skills but also a little chinny who can be hurt.
Deravyenchenko is possibly being overlooked because of his lack of experience in the pros. At 12-0 with 10 KO’s it does seem premature to get a title shot. But he was an Olympian for Ukraine who had hundreds of amateur fights and in his short career he has fought very solid competition. He has very good skills and good power and has shown a good chin although Jacobs will be the biggest puncher he has fought yet.
I am tempted to go with the upset because I feel Jacobs is a little vulnerable and Deravyenchenko is a very good fighter. It is possible that Jacobs gets stopped here. He has been KO’d before and also dropped by light punching Sergio Mora although he got up to win. GGG also dropped him but that is nothing to be ashamed of since GGG is a huge puncher and Jacobs did get up from that as well. I think it is more likely that it ends up a back and froth entertaining fight and one that Jacobs squeaks out.
Prediction
Jacobs by close decision.
Alberto Machado vs Yaundale Evans
WBA Super Featherweight Title
-This should be a good fight. Both guys are southpaws who can punch and fight aggresively. When I trained Emmanuel Lucero we fought Evans on ESPN in Phoenix so I got a good look at him up close. He was impressive, his best punch being a catch and counter right hook that has a lot of power. His one loss was by KO to former World Champion Javier Fortuna in a 1 round brawl that Fortuna ended up catching him although Evans got some of his own shots in as well.
Machado won his world title with a big KO over Jezreel Corrales and has defended it one time. A tall guy for this weight he also can punch.
I think Evans will get some shots in but Machado is the bigger guy with more experience in the pros and he should have enough to win the fight.
Prediction
Machado by KO
Heather Hardy vs Shelly Vincent
I believe this is the first female fight that HBO has ever shown. It is a rematch of a fight from several years back in which Hardy won a decision in a close competitive fun fight.
Prediction
Hardy by Decision
Saturday Oct 27 Time is TBA on ESPN+
IBF Heavyweight Title Eliminator
Kubrat Pulev vs Hughie Fury
Both of these guys are contenders who have had title shots in the past. Pulev was stopped by Wladimir Klitschko in a fight where he fought pretty tough and Fury lost a very close decision to Joseph Parker. Both of these guys are very big although their power is very average for their size. I have not seen much of either guy but I feel Pulev may be a bit past his prime where I feel Fury is still fresh being only 24 years old.
Prediction
Fury by Decision
Saturday October 27 DAZN (time TBA
World Boxing Super Series Quarterfinals Junior Welterweights
-Regis Prograis vs Terry Flanagan
Interim WBC Super Lightweight Title
Prograis is one of the better up and coming young prospects/champions. He is a very aggressive southpaw who has shown a great chin and great power on top of solid skills. He has beaten very good competition along the way and will be a handful for any 140 pounder in the world.
Flanagan is a former world champion won lost his belt in his last fight in a minor upset to Maurice Hooker. Before that fight he looked like another very good fighter out of England who had a chance to build up his star power and land some big fights. I think he is a better fighter than what he showed against Hooker and he holds a very impressive blowout KO win over Diego Magdaleno.
This is a good matchup and Flanagans toughness, chin and experience will keep him in this for a little while. But to me Prograis has shown the potential to become a special fighter and I think he takes over in middle rounds and stops him late.
Prediction
Prograis by TKO
Ivan Baranchyk vs Anthony Yigit
IBF Junior Welterweight title
-Yigit is an unknown who holds a undefeated 21-0 record but only has 7 KO’s. He is from Sweden and has not fought on US tv. For the most part he is an unknown. Barachyk has been on tv a bunch and is also undfeated but has done it against better competition and an ultra aggressive style with power. His last win was his most impressive in blowing out contender Petr Petrov who can really box. I am assuming based on his record that Yigit is a boxer and mover who will try to use Barachyk’s aggressiveness against him. Baranchyk can be crude at times but he is always in great shape and has had experience in tough fights against solid fighters. Trainer Pedro Diaz took over for his last fight and it was the best he ever looked so it is very possible that he is still improving.
Prediction
Baranchyk by Decision
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