The last Fight Week prior to the mega Fulton-Inoue/Spence-Crawford showdowns offers up some interesting action.
FRIDAY
Thompson Boxing sadly bids farewell after 23 years of promoting boxing in Southern California. Their final show is headlined by welterweight Louie Lopez (13-2-1, 4 KOs) against an opponent TBA. You can catch the action on YouTube and Facebook.
SATURDAY
ESPN presents former undisputed lightweight champion George “Ferocious” Kambosos Jr. (20-2, 10 KOs) against Maxi Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) in a twelve round IBF world title eliminator from the FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
UFC Fightpass has exciting junior middleweight KO artist Serhii “El Flaco” Bohachuk (22-1, 22 KOs) against former world title challenger Patrick Allotey (42-4, 32 KOs) at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California.
ProBox TV has a pro fight card from the Radisson Victoria Plaza in Montevideo, Uruguay, with middleweight Amilcar Vidal Jr (16-1, 12 KOs) rebounding from his first loss against Domicio Rondon (17-5, 11 KOs).
So we have a fighter from Australia against a UK fighter at a venue on Oklahoma. Looks like this one will go the distance!
My thoughts (re the fighters and venue) exactly but why do you think that this means a distance fight?
Am I ridiculous for thinking that Hughes has a chance in this one, Pete?? He’s been on a nice little run as of late against some decent guys including a former world champion, albeit a blown-up featherweight.
I was just thinking the same. Maxi is on a nice run; If you take away the win against a mentally and physically compromised Teo, has George done much?
Getting whitewashed against Haney twice and close wins against Bet and Selby doesn’t make a great resume. I think Maxi is a live dog.
Don’ think so-has five losses and not much KO power. Kambosos pretty average as well but should have enough to beat this guy.
Only time he got f’d up was vs someone who wore Reyes gloves. As long as Kambosos isn’t wearing those, Hughes may not be psyched out. He like kept the Reyes gloves and showed them off about how much he hated the padding and feel to them. It was in a YouTube video.
I think he does have a chance. I always felt the stars aligned perfect for Kambosos when he fought Lopez. Lopez was overconfident and fought a fight that gave Kambosos a chance. Plus he was better at taking Lopez’s power then we thought which I also think caught Lopez off guard. Other then that, like Streetgang said…what else has he really done that separates him from Hughes? I maybe in the minority but I thought Selby beat him.
So yes I think Hughes could outpoint him. I am not sure if that is my pick but it is a reasonable outcome. Just to clarify when I earlier said it would go the distance I was referring to their KO % …that comment had nothing to do with the venue which I do not think will be relevant as to whether it goes the distance or not.
I remember the Selby fight and thinking it was close but Lee may have nicked it.
I will be pulling for Maxi, George has become a bit unbearable for me.
I think I might just take this week off and just save the excitement for next weekend

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The IBF’s 38th Annual Convention will kick off this weekend at The Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, in Chicago, Illinois from May 28 – June 1, 2023. After 38 years, the organization will be returning to the Midwest to celebrate the IBF’s 40th year. The IBF celebrated its 2nd Annual Convention in Dearborn, Michigan in 1985 and a return to the region is long overdue. “We are excited for this milestone event and are looking forward to gathering with the boxing community in Chicago and the Midwest,” said IBF President Daryl Peoples.
During the convention the IBF hosts several events and seminars. Notably, the IBF also presents annual awards at each convention, and proudly announces its top award recipients for 2022 to be presented at the Awards Banquet closing the organization’s convention festivities on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The IBF is proud to announce some of it’s top awards for 2022 in anticipation of the upcoming convention.
Jersey Joe Walcott Award
The Jersey Joe Walcott Award, the organization’s highest honor, will go to Naoya Inoue. In spectacular fashion, Inoue unified the Bantamweight division with a second-round knockout win over Nonito Donaire. Naoya won the IBF title in 2019 and defended six times.
Female Fighter of the Year
Receiving the IBF Female Fighter of the Year Award is Chantelle Cameron who unified the Female Jr. Welterweight division. Cameron put on an exciting performance when she beat Undisputed Welterweight Champion Jessica McCaskill by unanimous decision and became the Undisputed Champion in the division.
Fight of the Year
IBF– Sivenathi Nontshinga vs. Hector Flores
Female – Katie Taylor vs. Amada Serrano
Intercontinental – Mark Heffron vs. Lennox Clarke
USBA – Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova
Jessica McCaskill and Murodjon Akhmadaliev are recieving Championship Rings for 3 successful title defenses.
“We proudly celebrate the notable achievements and remarkable careers of our champions, and the boxers that participated in IBF title fights. These are very well-deserved distinctions as all these fighters have worked incredibly hard to attain these accomplishments. We look forward to celebrating them,” noted Daryl Peoples.

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Big weekend coming up with four of the top welterweights not named Terence Crawford or Errol Spence seeing action.
FRIDAY
DAZN kicks things off with unbeaten WBO #3, WBA #11, WBC #12 super middleweight Diego Pacheco (18-0, 15 KOs) will take on Manuel Gallegos (19-1-1, 16 KOs) from the Cintermex in Monterrey, NL, Mexico. Pacheco is a 20:1 favorite.
SATURDAY
DAZN is back for the second consecutive night with a mouth-watering clash between unbeaten WBA regular welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) and WBA #1 Vergil Ortiz Jr. (19-0, 19 KOs) at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Ortiz is a 4:1 favorite to dethrone Stanionis.
Showtime delivers undefeated IBF interim welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) defending against IBF top-rated Roiman Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) from the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Ennis is a 13:1 favorite.
ESPN+ offers up exciting former world champion and current WBC #2 super bantamweight Luis Nery (34-1, 26 KOs) against Froilan Saludar (33-6-1, 23 KOs) from the fairground in Metepec, Mexico (90 minutes west of Mexico City). Nery is a 12:1 favorite.
Stanionis vs Ortiz is a cracking matchup. I wonder if Virgil’s momentum will be disrupted by illness. I guess we’ll see on Saturday.
Not anymore because Ortiz pulled out with his fake disease of not being able to make weight again. He did this last minute again to the Lithuanian. He should be sued and banned from the sport. Scumbag!
One of these days Boots is gonna walk all over Crawford and Spence. There’s starting to be a lot of buzz on how good Boots is, but I think he’s even better than advertised. Like Spence and Crawford, he boxes on a different level and has an extremely high boxing IQ as they say. It’s not just his speed, power, experience, and skills; he’s a thinking man and knows exactly what he’s doing. I just hope he doesn’t continue to be avoided.
The thing with boots is he seems to leave himself open for shots. Hopefully he corrects that.
Kris…I have to agree with you about Boots….Boots is “special”…..of course time could change that…but watching his fight against Karen Chukhadzhian…studying that fight …I saw something special…and Karen is as tough fighter and Karen maybe a future world champion..very good skills…guys In my opinion Boots is really good…on that level of “special”….
Best of luck to both stanionis and Ortiz. I like both so I’ll be happy for the winner and bummed out for the loser.
SATURDAY
Showtime delivers undefeated IBF interim welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) defending against IBF top-rated Roiman Villa (26-1, 24 KOs).
– Not shown on the FightNews “Upcoming TV Fights”.
ESPN+ offers up exciting former world champion and current WBC #2 super bantamweight Luis Nery (34-1, 26 KOs) against Froilan Saludar (33-6-1, 23 KOs) from the fairground in Metepec, Mexico (90 minutes west of Mexico City). Nery is a 12:1 favorite.
– Same as above.
– I see FightNews added these bouts to their schedule…..
I’ll be watching the Ennis vs Villa fight as I do not have DAZN, but subscribe to SHO. Can’t go wrong either one, two solid fights. Boots vs. Ortiz, make it happen powerbrokers after they both come out victorious this weekend.
I think Stanionis – Ortiz has the potential to be a fight of the year candidate. That match has seemed cursed with all the postponements, but barring a blowout either way (which I don’t see happening but is possible), I don’t know how those two get together without it being a great fight.
Sooner or later one of the top guys at welterweight will have to face Ennis, now, if Ortiz defeat Stanionis many will be asking for Ortiz vs Ennis, exceopt Oscar DE La Hoya, no way that will happen.If not the Crawford vs Spence winner, but rather the winner of Thurman vs Ugas could be excellent

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