Canal Indigo: Adonis Stevenson vs. Badou Gabriel Jack & Óscar Andres Rivas vs. Herve Hubeaux RBR

8-rounder coming up, welterweights, the unbeaten A-side house fighter is 11-0 (5) and his Mexican southpaw opponent is reliably tough and heavy-handed but not super dangerous, so this one is almost certainly going eight unless Heron is trash and gets exposed big-time.

Rivas vs. Hubeaux might end with the first punch. Or if he is completely wilted on the vine and has become useless before ever stepping up in class (which, tragic as it would be, can't be called shocking, given how much time Rivas has wasted on the shelf) it could go the distance.

So the remaining fights could last anywhere between 45 minutes and 1½hrs.

But either way, Showtime is airing Stevenson vs. Jack in a live split-venue broadcast with Russell vs. Diaz, so I think in Canada they have to wait for the main event in Maryland to be done before they can start. We might be looking at quite a lengthy gap if the welters and/or heavies end inside schedule.

 

Kane Heron vs. Iván Guadalupe Álvarez Ruiz, 8 rounds @ welterweight

 

I'm hoping you're right, buddy.

 

Round 1

Heron is ambling clockwise around his foe, getting a feel out for his idiosyncrasies. Álvarez is switching from southpaw to orthodox, winging awkward hooks at neck-height with either lead hand, missing no matter what as Heron keeps circling and letting a slow trickle of probing jabs make their way in on the lankier, taller fighter.

10-9 Heron

 

Round 2

Álvarez is continuing to mirror Heron's stance, boxing orthodox, jabbing into the forearms and then swinging a big telegraphed hook while plodding straight forward, easily getting ducked & dodged with Heron countering with jabs and 1-2s on the chest. Álvarez manages to connect on a right hand walking forward but can't follow up. Heron is blocking and dancing around, back occasionally skirting the ropes, sometimes jumping in to clinch. 1-2 downstairs by Álvarez, caught mostly on the elbows. Long awkward clinch, Heron landing a jab while holding Álvarez's right arm crossed over his chest & tangled under his right armpit.

10-9 Heron

20-18 Heron

 

Observations:

• for a guy named "Zurdo", this Álvarez has spent 90% of the match so far in the orthodox stance in spite of it clearly doing him no favors.
  
• for a guy that is third billed on an important card for the burgeoning Toronto boxing scene in a large venue (getting preferential billing even over a major regional draw like Zewski) this Heron is laboring awfully hard in an ugly contest with a not very formidable looking Mexican...