Complete Viewer's Guide to Boxing's Biggest Fights in March
The big news in boxing, of course, is a fight in May at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Floyd Mayweather putting it all on the line against some kid from the Philippines. It might be worth looking into.
Of course, boxing is bigger than two men. That seems simple enough, especially to diehards, but it's a fact often lost on casual fans of the sport. If February didn't dispel this myth, however, March surely will. After all, how long can the "boxing is dying" talking point last while manager extraordinaire Al Haymon is putting his spin on the sport on channels up and down the dial?
This month he enters the promotional game on both NBC and Spike TV—and that's just the beginning. Best of all, these aren't blatant mismatches or rip-offs. His Premier Boxing Champions is bringing, well, premier boxing to free TV nationwide. If the promotion can continue at this pace, it's going to revolutionize boxing on television.
To match him, Showtime and HBO are spitting their own hot fire. But not every card this month is worth watching. Being a boxing fan can be difficult—discerning between a good and bad fight card can be surprisingly tricky. Bleacher Report is here to help curate the experience.
What follows is a rundown of every boxing card televised in English on American television. Who's worth watching, and who can you skip? Who's likely to win—and why? You'll find that here, monthly, in this new running series.
Have some thoughts of your own about fights this March? Hit us up in the comments.
Tony Harrison vs. Antwone Smith (ESPN2)
1 of 10Key Info
Date: March 6th
Network: ESPN2
Promoter: Goossen Tutor Promotions/Warriors Boxing
Undercard bouts: Erickson Lubin vs. Said El Harrak, Rau’shee Warren vs. Javier Gallo, Ievgen Khytrov vs. Jorge Melendez
Interest Level: Low/Medium
Analysis
ESPN2 opens March with top prospect Tony Harrison (19-0, 16 KO)—a former Emanuel Steward charge who has racked up early stoppages over past-their-prime journeymen like Bronco McKart and former Contender champ Grady Brewer—headlining in a showcase fight. Six years ago, Antwone Smith might have offered a real challenge to Harrison. Now, unfortunately, he's at the same level as previous Harrison victims—an opponent.
On the undercard, Erickson Lubin returns just four weeks after his last appearance on the network. In an effort to be kind, let's just say I hope he's a bit more exciting this time than he was last time out. Ievgen Khytrov also faces Jorge Melendez in a middleweight bout of some promise.
Main Event Prediction
Smith saw success at welterweight in his day. Too bad Harrison is a 6’1’’ middleweight with an 84 percent KO rate.
Smith hasn’t fought in 18 months. Meanwhile, Harrison knocked out three men last year and never once saw the third round. This despite each opponent representing a shift up in class. Am I painting a clear enough picture here? Wish Antwone Smith’s family well.
Harrison by fourth-round KO.
Joseph Diaz vs. Giovanni Delgado (Fox Sports 1)
2 of 10Key Info
Date: March 6th
Network: Fox Sports 1
Promoter: Golden Boy Promotions
Undercard bouts: Unknowns
Interest Level: Low
Analysis
In the old days, Golden Boy used to run these shows called Fight Night Club that appeared on various Fox Sports regional networks at lord knows what time. Those shows typically had guys early in their career progression taking fights against glorified tomato cans.
This show is Fight Night Club reborn. That is not meant as a compliment. JoJo Diaz, a ShoExtreme veteran and former Olympian, headlines. His opponent is Giovanni Delgado, winner of the Cinturon De Oro XVII tournament on Canal MX52 in Mexico. What does that mean? Well, not a whole lot.
If you want to see Diaz, plan on recording this and fast forwarding a lot. The rest will be filled with low-level club fights.
Main Event Prediction
Delgado might be game, but he is grossly outmatched against the former amatuer standout. Expect bloodshed.
JoJo Diaz by seveth-round KO.
Zou Shiming vs. Amnat Ruenroeng (HBO2)
3 of 10
Key Info
Date: March 7th
Network: HBO2
Promoter: Top Rank
Undercard bouts: Glen Tapia vs. Daniel Dawson
Interest Level: Low
Analysis
Top Rank continues its attempts to conquer the Chinese market behind the substantial star power of Zou Shiming (6-0, 1 KO), the two-time Olympic gold medalist and Freddie Roach protege. His opponent, after several developmental bouts on HBO, is a tough one, former Thai Olympian Amnat Ruenroeng (14-0, 5 KO).
The two met three times in the amateur ranks, with Shiming winning twice, including a contest in the 2010 Asian Games that killed Ruenroeng's dreams of winning a world championship.
Main Event Prediction
Top Rank has a lot on the line, and Shiming's success is vital to the promotion's hopes in China. Although this bout seems competitive on paper, boxing matchmakers aren't dumb. Expect Shiming to win handily.
Shiming by unanimous decision.
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Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero (NBC)
4 of 10
Key Info
Date: March 7th
Network: NBC
Promoter: Tom Brown (Goossen Tutor Promotions)
Undercard bouts: Adrien Broner vs. John Molina Jr.
Interest Level: Whatever is above high. Astronomical.
Analysis
Al Haymon is bringing boxing to NBC, and he's doing it in a big way. Two excellent fights kick off Premier Boxing Champions.
The main event has the makings of a great bout. This is premium-cable-level fighting on free television. Robert Guerrero (32-2-1, 18 KO) is a former multidivision world title holder who came up short fighting Floyd Mayweather on pay-per-view two years ago, but remains a really solid fighter. And he's the B-side!
Keith Thurman (24-0, 21 KO) may be the next big thing at welterweight. This is where he starts proving it. Guerrero would immediately become the biggest win of his career—and potentially launch him to even better things.
Some guy who once had crabs (link NSFW) is on the undercard, looking to rehabilitate his career. Say what you will about Adrien Broner, but the man is never boring.
Main Event Prediction
If boxing was a bar and each fight a woman, this might be the one worth taking home to mom. Sure, it's boxing, and you're never going to find a nice girl in boxing. But you would think really hard about whether or not the judgemental looks you'd face from your family for wanting to be with Thurman/Guerrero forever would be worth it.
Guerrero isn’t going to run away from Thurman like Leonard Bundu did. He'll face Thurman's thudding power and serious hand speed, testing his opponent's mettle—and his own. Guerrero isn't likely to wilt quickly or go away quietly into the night. This one, to quote the great Gennady Golovkin, is going to be a "big drama show."
Keith Thurman by unanimous decision in a great fight.
Andre Berto vs. Josesito Lopez (Spike TV)
5 of 10
Key Info
Date: March 13th
Network: Spike TV
Promoter: Goossen Tutor Promotions (Haymon Boxing)
Undercard bouts: Shawn Porter vs. Roberto Garcia
Interest Level: High
Analysis
Spike’s first boxing show appears from nowhere with a crossroads fight featuring fighters with everything to lose. Andre Berto (29-3, 22 KO) and Josesito Lopez (33-6, 19 KO) close the show as each man tries desperately to stay relevant in the welterweight picture after suffering ugly losses and injuries.
Underneath that there's a treasure of a fight—former world champ Shawn Porter fighting the exciting Roberto Garcia. This is a show-stealing bout that will likely become a slugfest before it's all said and done.
Main Event Prediction
The Riverside Rocky’s career has featured a lot of uphill climbs—but Berto may be the steepest hill he's ever attempted. I thought Berto looked pretty good against Steve Upsher Chambers last September, dominating the fight and showing flashes of his formidable hand speed.
Lopez, by comparison, has simply looked "OK" at best and "totally shot" at worst in the showcase fights since his KO loss to Marcos Maidana. Prime vs. prime, Josesito is tailor-made for Berto stylistically. Now, appearances suggest Berto may have more left. That’s all sorts of bad for Lopez.
Berto by fourth-round KO.
Antoine Douglas vs. Thomas Lamanna (Showtime)
6 of 10Key Info
Date: March 13th
Network: Showtime
Promoter: Greg Cohen Promotions/GH3 Promotions
Undercard bouts: Ismael Barroso vs. Issouf Kinda
Interest Level: Low
Analysis
A single question popped into my head when this fight was announced: Who are Antoine Douglas (16-0-1, 10 KO) and Thomas Lamanna (16-0, 7 KO)?
This is among the lowest rent Shobox cards I can remember. Sure, both had amateur records worth noting and are undefeated in their short careers, and I’m probably dogging them a bit much given how green they are. But, really, nothing about this show gets my blood pumping.
Main Event Prediction
Douglas has the better amateur pedigree, and that counts for something. His opposition as a pro is slightly better too, but not by a ton. Neither has fought anyone worth recalling, and both are only now graduating to 10-round fights. This is the most skippable show of the month—by a wide margin.
Antoine Douglas by unanimous decision.
Sergey Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal (HBO)
7 of 10
Key Info
Date: March 14th
Network: HBO
Promoter: Interbox/Main Events
Undercard bouts: Vyacheslav Glazkov vs. Steve Cunningham, Isaac Chilemba vs. Vasily Lepikhin
Interest Level: High
Analysis
Beating a 50-year old man doesn't seem like the greatest accomplishment for a boxer in his prime. But when that old man is Bernard Hopkins, well, that win carries some weight. On the strength of that showing, Sergey Kovalev (26-0-1, 23 KO) has become a minor star.
His opponent, Jean Pascal, is a major star—at least in Canada. He's one of the light heavyweight division’s biggest ticket-sellers and most well-regarded names. He’s consistently exciting, perhaps not coincidentally because he fades in latter rounds and ends up in plenty of dramatic firefights.
The undercard contest features Ukrainian heavyweight prospect Vyacheslav Glazkov against former cruiserweight belt holder Steve Cunningham. It's a fight that harkens back to the good old days of Al Cole-Kirk Johnson fights on Home Box Office. Pretty identical skill levels there, too.
If you're thinking, "Wait, Al Cole was terrible," well, that's the joke.
In the opener, Vasily Lepikhin and Isaac Chilemba round out the triple-header in a bout that may determine the next Kovalev victim.
Main Event Prediction
Kovalev is treated like a demigod by the general public, but Jean Pascal is no pushover. He will come to fight, guaranteed. Unlike Hopkins, Pascal has both the hand speed and the power to bother Kovalev plenty. I think Kovalev wins with a monster KO, but I expect this to be, hands down, the most difficult fight of his career. Expect Pascal to come out fast and even score a knockdown or two before his tank runs low.
Kovalev by ninth-round KO.
Alfonso Gomez vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai (Fox Sports 1)
8 of 10
Key Info
Date: March 20th
Network: Fox Sports 1
Promoter: Golden Boy Promotions
Undercard bouts: TBD
Interest Level: Medium/High
Analysis
Woah, what? Now you're talking my language, Fox Sports 1.
Yoshihiro Kamegai (25-2-1, 22 KO) and Alfonso Gomez (24-6-2, 12 KO) aren’t top guys, or even real contenders, but they bring heat, and that will make for an exciting welterweight fight. Gomez came back after a long layoff and managed a respectable win over Ed Paredes last July. Kamegai became a made man in the eyes of most hardcore fans by engaging in an entertaining brawl with Robert Guerrero in June.
The winner probably gets another chance at relevance and big bucks in a packed division. The loser might be relegated to pure opponent status. These guys will have a lot to fight for. I expect something pretty special.
Main Event Prediction
The stigma of reality television gives Gomez a bad rap, but he's more than just an ordinary The Contender contestant. While it's true, he’s generally been protected and given fights intended to make him look good, wins over Ed Paredes and Jesus Soto-Karass prove he isn’t all bluster.
Kamegai might be the attractive pick to a lot of boxing aficionados, but the truth is that he hasn’t beaten anyone very good. I think losing tough fights to the likes of Shawn Porter makes you a better fighter than knocking out no-name Japanese junior welterweights. I guess we'll all find out on March 20th.
Alfonso Gomez by unanimous decision.
Fredrick Lawson vs. Breidis Prescott (ESPN2)
9 of 10
Key Info
Date: March 26th
Network: ESPN2
Promoter: Warriors Boxing
Undercard bouts: TBD
Interest Level: Low/Medium
Analysis
"General Okunka" is a great alias. It belongs to Fredrick Lawson (23-0, 20 KO) of Ghana, who has good size for a welterweight and an impressive-looking record. Unfortunately, he built that record in Africa against complete unknowns. Only an impressive victory against Ray Narh keeps him from being a complete mystery. Breidis Prescott (27-6, 20 KO), north of his best fighting weight and past his prime as a fighter, plays the part of gatekeeper here.
Main Event Prediction
Could crazy things happen? Sure, that’s why fights are so great. It's why we watch.
But, realistically, Prescott is here because he's a durable punching bag capable of giving Lawson some good rounds. Lawson might be the second coming of Ike Quartey—but he probably isn't. He'll be good enough to win, but not good enough to look spectacular doing it.
Lawson by unanimous decision.
Jhonny Gonzalez vs. Gary Russell Jr. (Showtime)
10 of 10
Key Info
Date: March 28th
Network: Showtime
Promoter: Someone doing the bidding of Al Haymon
Undercard bouts: Jermell Charlo vs. Vanes Martirosyan
Interest Level: Medium/High
Analysis
Gary Russell Jr. (25-1, 14 KO) was raked over the coals by pundits when he lost to Vasyl Lomachenko last year because it seemed his slow developmental curve left him poorly prepared for a step up in class. It was an exciting hot take, and as a result, all the narratives leading up to this will basically ask the question: "How can Gary Russell Jr. redeem himself?"
Hint: Jhonny Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KO) isn't Vasyl Lomachenko.
On the undercard, Jermell Charlo and Vanes Martirosyan, two guys who aren't exactly action fighters, collide in an important battle at 154.
Main Event Prediction
Boxing fans have short memories. When Gary Russell Jr. blanks Jhonny Gonzalez and wins himself a world title belt on March 28th, no one will remember the Lomachenko fight and all that talk about how he wasn't properly prepared.
Gonzalez isn't a generational talent in his physical prime. He is a good fighter whose best run was at bantamweight nine years ago against smaller men. Yes, he stopped Abner Mares, but Russell’s not going to get hit like Mares did.
His hand speed is tremendous, and he can move in and out. Gonzalez isn’t going to outbox him, and he’s going to eat punches if he tries to run through him. Styles. Make. Fights.
Gary Russell Jr. by unanimous decision.
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