This past weekend was packed with boxing as the summer is winding down and the sweet science gears up for the fall and winter. The boxing weekend began on Thursday with the major fight cards going down on Saturday night as it is customary for the sport. Expecting for the one broadcast on the major network, Showtime, headlined by Danny Garcia annihilating the clearly over matched and over powered Rod Salka, the fight of the weekend if not quite possibly the fight of the year was broadcast in Mexico by major network Azteca. In a 105lb unification fight, “Chihuas” Rodriguez stayed home in Monterrey with both the WBO and the IBF straps after winning a unanimous decision over the kamikaze Katsunari Takayama.
Although not spectacular, the fall and winter schedule is coming together. This weekend we have the somewhat anticipated IBF light welterweight title fight between undefeated Shawn Porter and Brit Kell Brook. Surprisingly, this fight card is set for the Stub Hub Center in Carson, CA, despite Porter is Ohio and Brook from England but a good turnout is expected at the open-air venue in southern California. The championship fight will be broadcast by Showtime and presented by Golden Boy Promotions and from behind the scenes, Al Haymon.
On the first weekend of September from Mexico City we will see another for sure war from the little guy’s when one of the most promising fighters in the smaller weights, Juan Francisco “Gallito” Estrada, headlines a major main event when he defends his WBA and WBO flyweight titles against former champion Giovanni Segura. The fight promises on paper to be an all-out war between the classic match of boxer/puncher in Estrada against pure brawler Segura. The co-main event is nothing to sneeze out either when you have one of the most prominent female fighters of all time, Tijuana’s Jackie Nava, looking to add to her WBA super bantamweight title when she goes after the WBC champ, Alicia Ashley. The fight might be broadcast in the U.S. Check your obscure TV listings.
Oh yeah, that same night from Cincinnati, we have the return of Adrien Broner against feather-fisted Emmanuel Taylor and what should save the night, Lucas Matthysse against Mexican Roberto “Massa” Ortiz on Showtime.
Of course a week later we will witness “Mayhem: Mayweather vs Maidana II” from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. What will be the hook to sell this Pay-Per-View? Despite Maidana making it tough for Mayweather in the first half of their first fight back in May, the considered pound for pound king Mayweather Jr was able to take control of the action and took off in the second half of the fight. The fight was somewhat action-packed in Mayweather Jr terms and that is the reason given of why Mayweather Jr granted only his second direct rematch in his career, that and the fact that at this point there is no real feasible opponent for Mayweather Jr for the rest of the year.
Much more is in store for the end of 2014 but nothing is set in stone but one that is set in stone is Manny Pacuquiao vs light welterweight champion Chris Algieri in late November. Others that are being talked about making another appearance before the end of the year are Miguel Cotto, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the aforementioned Garcia and hopefully Keith Thurman.
