Antoine Douglas vs. Istvan Szili: Fight Time, Date, Preview and TV Info

Two undefeated middleweights will square off in the featured bout on a Showtime boxing card from Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Friday night. Antoine Douglas (17-0-1, 11 KO) faces Istvan Szili (18-0-2, 8 KO) in a bout that could put the winner into a bigger matchup against a middleweight titleholder or highly regarded contender.

Here's the viewing information:

When: Friday, July 17, at 10 p.m. ET

TV: Showtime

Last Time Out

Douglas

On March 13, Douglas stopped previously undefeated Thomas Lamanna via sixth-round TKO. It was an impressive performance, as Douglas proved he had legitimate power. Lamanna had never been dropped coming in, but Douglas put Lamanna down three times en route to the stoppage win.

Boxing analyst Steve Farhood was impressed, per Boxing News 24:

"

The last time Douglas fought on ShoBox, it was a very unsatisfying fight because he was held to a draw and he faded late. This time, he took control the first 30 seconds of the first round, won every round, and then, just as you thought that the only thing that he needed to do was put an exclamation point on the performance, that’s what he did by scoring three knockdowns in the sixth. Douglas took down a fighter that had never been down before. This was a very impressive performance that reestablished him as a top 160-pound American prospect.

"

On Friday, Douglas will try to hand a second straight opponent his first loss.

Szili

Like Douglas, Szili scored his own sixth-round TKO victory. The 32-year-old Hungarian blew through Mathias Zemski to finally claim another win after two consecutive draws against Matteo Signani and Goekalp Oezekler.

Szili will be fighting in the United States for the first time in his career. At 32, he's not a wide-eyed youngster who figures to be taken by the American audience that will likely be booing him. He should be focused on the task at hand as he faces the most talented opponent he's seen in his career.

Who Wins?

Szili is a deliberate counterpuncher who changes levels well, but he doesn't have great foot or hand speed. He punches with commitment, but he's yet to show big-time power, as evidenced by his modest eight knockouts.

The key to the fight will be Szili's ability to put money in the bank with body shots early and often.

Douglas has a herky-jerky style and good quick-twitch athleticism. He'll have a huge advantage in hand speed and overall explosiveness. Sometimes he has a tendency to abandon his jab as he hunts for powerful pot shots.

He can have success against Szili that way, but he could earn a TKO victory if he establishes the jab and works behind it. Bank on Douglas putting together another impressive performance, as he'll win most of the exchanges en route to a unanimous-decision victory.

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