Naoya Inoue vs. Omar Andrés Narváez & Akira Yaegashi vs. Pedro Guevara RBR

Jorge Linares vs. Javier Prieto:

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...and with that, he becomes a three-division champion. In 41 bouts, stopped thrice along the way, all three being vacant WBC titles (Linares has never defeated a reigning champion, and none of the guys he beat should have even been in world title bouts when he fought them: Larios was a once-great super bantam, past his prime and weathered by the Vazquez rubber match and the unsuccessful challenge of Pacquiao at super feather, and had done squat at feather except beat a couple of tomato cans; Whyber Garcia likewise had never done anything, had been knocked out in two of his previous five bouts, with three wins over tomato cans - one via injury and the other beaten twice by MD and TKO in a rematch, and went on to do exactly nothing after Linares knocked him out for the vacant 130lb title; and now Prieto who did score a fairly impressive upset over Mosquera for the Silver belt last year - and in Panama, no less - but proved that night of seeming world class ability to be a fluke as he then failed to defeat pedestrian domestic rival Javier twice in a pair of skin-of-his teeth defenses via split and majority draw).

Contrast with Naoya Inoue, who is already champion in his 2nd weight class and on both occasions beat not only a reigning titlist but THE MAN in the division - in just eight bouts.

Linares and Inoue are both talented, but they are hardly peers.

 

Well, Bey is even more of a paper champ. At least with Linares he did (convincingly) beat the guy put in front of him, regardless of whether or not a vacant title ought to have been on the line.

Bey got a Haymon gift over Vázquez. Linares would outpoint him, widely.

Linares vs. Abril would be as engrossing to speculate on as it would be...well, gross to actually watch. Horrible clash of styles. Neither on their best day, with the liveliest dance partner exactly makes for thrilling viewing. Together? What a stink bomb.

 

A bit less raw power yes, but substantially better technique.

 

I would imagine that is exactly his plan. Does anyone know if he gave an interview stating anything to such effect?