Pick It: World Champion Saul Alvarez vs. TBRB #5 John Ryder (Saturday, DAZN PPV, 7:00 PM EST)
It’s a homecoming for boxing’s most established superstar as he defends the undisputed super middleweight title for the second time. 32-year old Saul Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KO) shook off his light heavyweight loss to Dmitrii Bivol with a decisive, rivalry-concluding victory over Gennadiy Golovkin.
Now Alvarez will give 50,000 fans in Mexico a chance to see him at home for the first time since 2011. 34-year old John Ryder (32-5, 18 KO) hasn’t been stopped 2015 and is riding a four-fight win streak that could easily be nine. It still might be safe to bet the under here. WBC flyweight titlist Julio Cesar Martinez will also be in action.
Additional Shows to Watch For
Friday – Forte vs. Grandelli (ESPN+, 3:00 PM EST)
Friday afternoon cards from Italy have become a regular part of boxing in recent years with the latest edition spotlighting featherweights in the main event. 29-year old Mauro Forte (17-0-2, 7 KO) and 28-year old Francesco Grandelli (16-1-2, 3 KO) meet for the second time after a split draw over twelve rounds last November.
Saturday – #2 Buatsi vs. Stepien (FiteTV, 1:00 PM EST)
One of the best, and most entertaining, light heavyweights in boxing will attempt to take another step toward a title shot. 30-year old Joshua Buatsi (16-0, 13 KO) went twelve rounds for the first time in his last appearance against veteran Craig Richards. Now Buatsi gets an undefeated fellow title hopeful in a battle that should propel the victor in a big way. 32-year old Pawel Stepien (18-0-1, 12 KO) is entering his first twelve-round fight after three straight eight round decision wins.
Saturday – Segawa vs. Lopez (BXNGTV, 7:00 PM EST)
Fans who want to see the leather fly but don’t want to fork out extra coin for the Alvarez show can tune into this club show from the DMV. Featherweights occupy the main event with 31-year old Sulaiman Segawa (14-3-1, 5 KO) set to face 27-year old Misael Lopez (14-2, 5 KO). Both men have one stoppage loss with Lopez entering off a split-decision loss in his first ten-round outing.
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com