HBO: Miguel Ángel Cotto vs. Sadam Ali & Rey Vargas vs. Oscar Negrete RBR.

Also for the record I'm picking Cotto to drag the kid out behind the woodshed. I'm just saying, if Ali wins it just gives him a nice story for his grandkids and looks good on his resume, but practically speaking it doesn't give him the boost some may think. 154lb isn't his division, this is his first outing, so he isn't going to parlay this into a shot at Lara or Charlo or anybody (even if he can; the champs have low enough profiles that he still won't get paid that much. Hell, a 10 rounder with Victor Ortiz at welter might draw a bigger gate.) 147lbs is his stomping grounds and where he ought to be chasing paydays, but stepping out to beat a great on his way out doesn't rocket him up the welter rankings or set up big things for him, either.

 

So all three championship matches are being shown in a triple-header on HBO WCB? Even though it starts at 10pm EST? Pretty late, if both co-main events go the distance there's a chance that Miguel and Sadam make their ring walks after midnight.

 

Zachary Ochoa vs. Erick Daniel Martinez, 6 rounds @ light welterweight

 

Ochoa vs. Martinez is being shown on the Ring stream, but on tape delay, not live. Actually in the ring at the moment are Angel Acosta and Juan Alejo, their WBO light flyweight title bout already underway (per Twitter)

 

Cotto by TKO under 7
Vargas by TKO under 8.5

 

So will it be the main event at 10PM Est?

 

A win shouldn't make him a significant player objectively, but you underrate how massive it would indeed be. He'd be in line for bigger paydays than most of the top guys at his division, it doesn't matter if that's ww or 154. Beating a star in your last fight whether we like it or not matters more than anything in boxing. Like Horn.

 

Rey Geovani Vargas Roldán vs. Oscar Manuel Negrete Padilla, 12 rounds @ super bantamweight

 

WBC 122lb title at stake, Vargas' 2nd defense.

 

Someone's 0 has got to go.

 

Round 1

Vargas is keeping Negrete at the end of his jab. Negrete tries batting down Vargas' arms to lunge upward at the face with an overhand right. Vargas spears a right into the body on the back-foot. Counter uppercut feinted by Vargas before snapping a turn and staying in the mantle - not the ropes' crust, nor the inner Tecate logo core. More long right handed lobs up top by Negrete, without a prayer of landing. Vargas casually leaning to one side to absorb them on his shoulder without increasing the pace of his footwork as he works combos on the body.

10-9 Vargas

 

Round 1: 10-9 Vargas

10-9 Vargas