Fight Week Preview
2023 closes out with a bang as the December action heats up this week with five big cards! Four in the States and one in Italy.
The action kicks off in Plant City, Florida, on the PROBOX TV card with a familiar name Batyrzhan Jukembayev, 21-1 (16), of Kazakhstan takes on Mohamed Mimoune of France. Jukembayev last fought in an absolute war on the PROBOX series and narrowly escaped with a split decision victory over Hugo Roldan, back in September. Mimoune ended a two-fight slide by stopping unbeaten prospect Steven Galeano to move his record to 23-5 (4). The card also features several high-level undefeated prospects such as Kelvin Davis, and Najee Lopez, who has become a staple and fan favorite of the PROBOX series, and Dominic Valle.
On Thursday, the action moves from Florida to California with the return of former heavyweight challenger Kubrat Pulevm 29-3 (14) returns from a 15-month layoff and looks to bounce back from his close and controversial points loss to Derek Chisora as he takes on fringe contender Andrzej Wawrzyk, 34-2 (20) of Poland. He last knocked out Kamil Bodzioch, also of Poland, in July. The card also features former welterweight world title challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas, 23-2-1 (18), battles journeyman Jose Marruffo. The card also features Luke Santamaria, plus two undefeated upstarts in Rene Moreno and Samuel Arnold.
We jump to the mother Motherland on Saturday in Italy at the Palasport Le Cupole in Torino as Sandor Martin of Spain, who has made a second home in the peninsula nation, battles Mohamed El Marcouchi 29-3 (12). Martin sports a record of 41-3 (14) and followed up his robbery of a loss to Teofimo Lopez by stopping Arblin Kaba in July. El Marcouchi of Belgium last fought in May and stopped Giorgi Gviniashvil, in two brutal rounds. Also on the card is an intriguing match-up between Francesco Grandelli, 17-2-2 (3) of Piemonte, Italy, and Stefan Voda, 14-0 (5), of Belgium. Voda last fought in April and scored an eight-round UD Maicol Velazco. The Italian last fought in July and outboxed Emiliano Salvini on his way to a six-round decision victory. Also on that card is Italian welterweight prospect "The Good Boy" Nicholas Esposito puts his 17-0 (10) record on the line.
The action moves to the US on Saturday on the final Showtime Championship Boxing card and it's a good one as sensational Cuban Super Middleweight David Morrell puts his perfect 9-0 (8), record on the line as well as his WBA "Regular" title against rugged Ghanaian Sena Agebeko 28-2 (22), who fought two months ago in Iowa and stopped Bruno Leonardo in two rounds. Morrell last fought in April and destroyed Yamaguchi Falcao in one round. The card also features the rematch between Chris Colbert 17-1 (6), and Jose Valenzuela 12-2 (8). Colbert narrowly outpointed Valenzuela in a hotly debated decision in May on the undercard of Benavidez-Plant. Also on the card is a grudge match between two former world champions and senior citizens Andre Berto and Robert Guerrero. Former world champion and fan favorite Julio Cesar Martinez.
The final card of the weekend is the biggest one and takes place in Glendale, Arizona as San Antonio native and WBO Flyweight champion Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez. 18-0 (11) and IBF champ Sunny Edwards 20-0 (4), unify half the gold at the 112-pound division. Rodriguez last fought in April and overcame a broken jaw to take a unanimous decision against Cristian Gonzalez. Edwards last fought in June and narrowly outpointed Andres Campos of Chile. The co-main event is a thrilling fight between former unified 122-pound world champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev 11-1 (8), who looks to bounce back from his first career loss, a hotly disputed decision loss to Marlon Taples in San Antonio back in April. He takes on undefeated Mexican brawler Kevin Gonzalez, 26-0-1(13), who is coming off a March UD victory over Jose Sanmartin. The card also features surgingFlyweight prospect Gal Yafai, 5-0 (4).
