Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Undercard Fights and Championship Predictions
While it will be difficult to seize any of the spotlight away from Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on the night of May 2, there will be a clutch of budding fighters desperate to make an impression on the undercard.
It represents a marvellous opportunity for those involved to make a name for themselves. After running the rule over the men set to precede the big bout, we should be in for some intriguing affairs to set the tone for the momentous showdown.
Here’s how the undercard is shaping up and a closer examination of some of the standout fights scheduled to whet the appetite for Mayweather and Pacquiao’s iconic tussle.
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| 126 lbs. | Leo Santa Cruz vs. Anthony Settoul |
| 126 lbs. | Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Gamalier Rodriguez |
| 168 lbs. | Jesse Hart vs. Mike Jimenez |
| 154 lbs. | Christopher Pearson vs. Said El Harrak |
| 200 lbs. | Andrew Tabiti vs. Anthony Caputo Smith |
| 154 lbs. | Brad Solomon vs. Adrian Granados |
Leo Santa Cruz vs. Anthony Settoul
Mexican star Leo Santa Cruz will make his featherweight debut on the undercard when he gets set to take on Anthony Settoul.
In his previous two bouts, the undefeated Santa Cruz has been a comfortable winner, and he’s the big favourite again here. The upwards move from bantamweight looks likely to pave the way for a bout with compatriot and three-weight champion, Abner Mares. It’s a showpiece the 26-year-old has admitted is on his radar, per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com:
"Now [Mares] wants to fight me. The fans want it and I want it too, so I think we're gonna give the fans what they want.
We're gonna push the team to make that fight happen. Mares been talking a lot of things, bad things, so I want that fight to happen. I think it's very possible.
"
But he has to get past Settoul first. The challenger has a major opportunity to propel himself to stratospheric new heights with a victory here and has a record of 20 wins and three defeats from professional bouts to date. However, he’s yet to encounter any quality names and is simply not in the same class as the Mexican.
Santa Cruz has cut a relaxed figure in the buildup to the fight too, as we can see:
The Mexican, who has won 29 and drawn one of his 30 professional fights, has yet to be appropriately tested despite his undeniable talent. This fight will be comfortable for him and a fine opportunity to enhance his reputation in the eyes of the watching boxing cognoscenti, but there are much bigger challenges to come for Santa Cruz.
Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Gamalier Rodriguez
As a two-time Olympic gold medalist, much was expected of Vasyl Lomachenko when he turned professional.
After a setback against Orlando Salido in his second pro fight—the Ukrainian lost on a split decision—he defeated Gary Russell Jr. to claim the vacant WBO featherweight championship before making a confident first defence against Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo.
This clash with Gamalier Rodriguez will be his second defence, and according to Forever Boxing, the Ukrainian is the highlight of what’s an otherwise understated undercard:
While Lomachenko isn’t exactly a household name, a strong performance here could do wonders for his development. Indeed, according to Top Rank’s Vice-President, Carl Moretti, his spot on the bill is similar to that of a burgeoning Pacquiao’s own appearance on the undercard of Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson in 2002, per Rafael of ESPN.com:
"I remember when we did Lewis-Tyson and an ultra-talented lighter weight southpaw was featured on that mega card. It was Manny.
This has the same type of feeling and we believe it will launch Lomachenko's status, both in and out of the ring.
"
Rodriguez should make this an intriguing encounter. The man from Puerto Rico is on a 17-fight winning streak coming into this one, making some positive additions to his own skill set. As such, he’ll surely relish the chance of seizing the WBO title from the Ukrainian.
But the champion will have too much for Rodriguez. Lomachenko has responded well to the loss in his second professional bout, and having been on a Manny undercard before—he beat Piriyapinyo in Macau prior to Pacquaio-Algieri—and in Olympic finals, he will cope with the immense focus that will accompany this unique occasion.
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