WEEKEND
£115 secondary title winner Jesse Rodriguez will face veteran Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday in San Antonio.
JESSE RODRIGUEZ (15-0, 10 KOS) VS SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI (50-5-1, 43 KOS)
- When: Saturday, June 25
- Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. ET. PT (later main event)
- Where: Tech Port Arena, San Antonio
- TV / Stream: DAZN
- Assignment: Teen bantamweight (115 pounds)
- Circle: twelfth
- Under threat: No main title
- Ranking in British Pounds: Not available
- The odds: NA
- Also on the card: Julio Cesar Martinez vs McWilliams Arroyo, flyweight (for Martinez’s WBC title); Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ronny Rios, junior featherweight (for Akhmadaliev’s IBF and WBA titles); Jessica McCaskill vs Alma Ibarra, weight division (for McCaskill’s undisputed championship); Raymond Ford vs Richard Medina, featherweight
- Guess: Sor Rungvisai KO 10
- Story: “Bam” Rodriguez brought great sadness when he was easy overtakes Carlos Cuadras weighing 115 pounds won the sub-WBC title (Juan Francisco Estrada is the “franchise champion”) in February, instantly establishing him as a major player in the league. 22-year-old Nampaw will have the edge when it comes to fighting at home on Saturday. Big boxer Sor Rungvisai, 35, has been a dominant figure in the young middleweight division for a decade, with two crowns as owner. He is best known for beating the all-time great Roman Gonzalez twice in 2017, the second time by knockout. He has won three matches in a row since he lost his WBC belt to Estrada in 2019. This card is stacked with important bouts. Martinez (18-2, 14 KOs) will fight for the first time since he gained weight and lost a one-way decision for Gonzalez March. Akhmadaliev (10-0.7 KOs) will defend the title won for the third time by the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist surpass Daniel Roman in 2020. And late bloomer McCaskill (11-2, 4 KOs) became a star when she pointed out Cecilia Braekhus become the undisputed welterweight champion in 2020 and beyond did it again in their rematch last year. The 37-year-old last fought in December, when she stopped Kandi Wyatt for seven rounds.
ELWIN SOTO (19-2, 13 KOS) VS HEKKIE BUDLER (33-4, 10 KOS)
- When: Saturday, June 25
- Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. ET. PT on ESPN (later main events)
- Where: Palenque Fex, Mexicali, Mexico
- TV / Stream: ESPN+
- Assignment: Child fly class (108 pounds)
- Circle: twelfth
- Under threat: No main title
- Ranking in British Pounds: Not available
- The odds: NA
- Also on the card: Jesus Riegos vs. Genaro Rodriguez, smaller featherweight; Kenin Betancourt vs Ivan Mercado, champions
- Guess: Soto UD
- Story: This match was considered a WBC lightweight flyweight title elimination. Soto lost the WBO belt to Jonathan Gonzalez in a decisive match in October, the Mexican’s first defeat since the third match of his career. Budler, 34, could be in a must-win situation. The former two-tournament champion from South Africa is at 2-2 in the last four matches and 4-3 in the last seven. He had a decisive unanimous victory over cruiser Jonathan Almacen on May 22 in Johannesburg, Budler’s hometown.
FIGHT THIS WEEK
JUNE 24
- Jonathan Gonzalez vs. Mark Anthony Barriga, junior flyweight (for Gonzalez’s WBO title), Kissimmee, Florida (ProBox.TV).
- Leandro Jose Blanc vs Germany Valenzuela, strawweight, Buenos Aires (Estrella TV).
JUNE 25
Denzel Whitley vs Maycon Oller Da Silva, Welterweight, Framingham, Massachusetts (Boxing TV).
