Vasyl Anatolyevich Lomachenko vs. Teófimo Andrés López & Alejandro Saucedo vs. Arnold Barboza Jr RBR

Top of the hour.

ESPN+ and its related family of cable networks have a full slate of event-related programming lined up in essentially a 12-hour block, including: highlight packages of both main event principals, replays of their recent or notable matches, both episodes of the "Blood Sweat & Years" preview series, the weigh-in special, and the Max On Boxing episode dedicated to it - with the rebroadcast of the latter two from 6pm EST serving as the official lead-in to live coverage at 7:30pm EST. All paraphernalia coverage will stream on + and be televised in English on ESPNNews and in Spanish on Deportes. The fight card itself will air on regular ESPN as well as on +.

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@CST80 @IntentionalButt @PinoyProdigy @Drinquor @Drew101 @Chuck Norris @KiwiMan @UnleashtheFURY @lewis gassed @Russell @Boxing Prospect @Serge @mirkofilipovic @lepinthehood @JordanK2406 @Pimp C @Willie Maeket @Robney @f1ght3rz @Somachenko @Max Thunder @Reg @Bustajay @nellybc @kirk @McGrain @Kapparino @pistal47 @eltirado @HamburgBuam @GK BOX @escudo @rorschach51 @MVC! @latineg @BigBone @Ukansodoff @Loudon @dinovelvet @pincai @bandeedo @C.J. @Glassbrain @Boxed Ears @pipe wrenched @robert ungurean @Power_tek @Dance84 @RockyMarciano @George Crowcroft @roughdiamond @Leoh @SladeW @Perkin Warbeck @Rock0052 @Holler @PaddyGarcia @ShovelHook @Jake LaMotta @Inglis_1 @Pakkuman @Goose

...how's that for a clarion roll-call?

 

Both ten-round chief supporting bouts are pretty good; for some reason BoxRec has Juan Alejandro Saucedo Ortiz vs. Arnold Barboza, Jr. rated a four-star bout (second highest possible, with Lomachenko vs. López awarded the rare 5 stars) and Josue Vargas Pérez vs. Kendo Castaneda only three stars...even though it would appear to feature the same matchmaking parity and combined level of quality between combatants, IMO.

Actually it would be cool if this were the start of a 140lb tourney, with the winners set to face one another. I'd be down to see bouts involving any combination of Saucedo, Barboza, Vargas, and Castaneda.

 

That all of course is predicated on their somewhat arbitrary points-based ranking system (which takes into account who you defeated, a sound operating principle in theory but omits factors like robberies or injured/rusty/declining opponents), which means there aren't editors at BR that necessarily consider Saucedo and Barboza that much better than Vargas and Castaneda...just that per their algorithm the former pair has defeated opponents with a higher numerical value.

 

Remaining lead-up programming on ESPNNEWS:

• 2pm EST: Best of Teófimo López
• 3pm: Blood, Sweat & Tears Pt. 1
• 3:30pm: Blood Sweat & Tears Pt. 2
• 4pm: Lomachenko vs. Linares
• 5pm: Lomachenko vs. Campbell
• 6pm: weigh-in special
• 6:30pm: Max on Boxing, Loma vs. López edition
• 7pm: live undercard from the Bubble at MGM Grand begins