The biggest fight of the year (or second biggest fight depending on which side of the Mayweather-Pacquiao debate you’re on) is upon us.
We’ve already discussed the WBO welterweight showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley and we’re one in voicing our confidence that the main event is going to be a barn-burner. But what needs to be addressed too is our belief that the entire card for that night will have some great fights too.
Yep, we’re showing some love to the undercard fights!
The three-bout, pay-per-view undercard will feature two world title fights and another fight that will see one of our favorite little guys in boxing, Jorge “Travieso” Arce. Sounds like a tasty way to spend $60 on this coming Saturday night, yes?
First up is the IBF welterweight title fight between the undefeated Mike “MJ” Jones going up against Randall “The Knockout King” Bailey. Both guys are ranked as the number 1 and 2 contenders for the title, respectively, so you can expect a slobber knocker of a fight. Although odds haven’t been announced yet, the 26-0 Jones is entering as the favorite to put an “L” on The Knockout King’s record and earn his first world championship belt. Don’t sleep on Bailey though because the former IBF welterweight champ has proven to pack quite a wallop when given the opportunity. After all, there’s a reason why he earned that nickname in the first place. Both dudes also have enormous egos, so anything short of an all-out brawl would be surprising to us.
The next fight on the undercard features reigning WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux staking his title against Teon “The Technician” Kennedy. This particular fight is being pegged as walk-over for the champ and the odds seem to reflect that as Rigondeaux is a 1/14 favorite to lay the smack down on Kennedy, who has been listed as an 8/1 underdog. We don’t expect an upset of any kind here because El Chacal is one of the most highly touted lower weight fighters in the sport today. He may not have the experience Kennedy boasts of, but this Cuban is the complete package inside that ring.
And then we get to the man himself, Jorge “Travieso” Arce. Outside of Manny Pacquiao, you could make a case for Arce as being one of the most exciting fighters in the world today. The lines have yet to be released in his fight against Jesus Rojas, but we know better not to be glued to the TV when Arce is in that ring. He’s a certified mad man when he puts on his gloves and has shown that he could take a licking yet still throws those haymakers as if somebody just stole his lunch money. Arce is the kind of fighter we’d gladly give our lunch money to just to see him fight.
Anytime you can get Arce and Pacquiao on the same card, that’s already worth the $60 to us. And if either the two title fights live up to their promise, then this fight card should be one that boxing fans shouldn’t dare miss.
