Super Bantamweight

Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (33-3, 21 KO) is returning to the super bantamweight division where he won Fighter of the Year in 2012. He will be facing rugged brawler William Prado (22-4-1, 15 KO) on Saturday in Donaire's native Philippines. The bout is part of Pinoy Pride 30 and will take place at the Araneta Coliseum.

Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, March 28 at 6 a.m. ET, 6 p.m. in Philippines

Where: Araneta Coliseum, Barangay Cubao in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

TV: TFL in Manila

Live Stream: TFL.tv

Reboot

The last two years have been the toughest of Donaire's career. He's lost two of his last four fights and hasn't even looked good in the bouts he's won. In October 2014, he was stopped for the first time in his career by Nicholas Walters.

Many believed Donaire should probably hang up the gloves at that point. It appeared his heart was no longer in the sport. He and his wife had welcomed a son into the world, and being a father was clearly the priority in his life.

No one can blame him for that, but it was hard not to see the decline in the ring. He'd become a one-punch fighter. Depending heavily on his speed, instincts and big left hook, Donaire was looking to catch every opponent with the one-hitter quitter.

It wasn't working out.

Now Donaire is moving back to the 122-pound division where he once dominated. The opponents don't hit as hard, and he'll have to be in better condition to make the weight. What about the weight cut that once seemed to force him to featherweight?

Per Ronnie Nathanielsz of BoxingScene.com, he said his body is, "now adapting after doing it for quite a while and the weight is coming off easily.” An impressive win would put Donaire firmly in the title picture at 122 pounds. 

There are some spectacular potential fights for Donaire in the division. He could rematch WBA and WBO champion Guillermo Rigondeaux—whom he lost a unanimous decision to back in April 2013. There's also WBA regular champion Scott Quigg, WBC king Leo Santa Cruz and popular Irish IBF champion Carl Frampton.

Any of them could make for a crowd-pleasing scrap with Donaire. First the Filipino Flash has to take down Prado.

Swinging for the Fences

With nothing to lose, Prado comes into Saturday's bout looking to drag Donaire into a messy slugfest. His style is not the most aesthetically pleasing, but he throws a lot of punches and keeps coming forward.

Prado has had a few opportunities to face elite fighters in his career, but those fights haven't turned out well for him.

In June 2013, he was knocked out in the third round by Quigg. He lost a unanimous decision to Jeremy Parodi in October 2012. Prado has also been out of action for almost a year. 

Because of the inactivity and failures against quality fighters, Prado appears to be in for an uphill battle. Perhaps his only chance is to hope that Donaire is not himself, and/or the weight cut will have more of an impact than anticipated.

3 Key Stats to Consider Ahead of the Fight

4-4-1

In fights scheduled 10 rounds or more, Prado isn't exactly doing his best work. His .444 winning percentage makes it hard to fathom an upset win for the 31-year-old Brazilian. 

214-153

We talked a bit about Prado's inability to consistently win bigger fights. Donaire has been far better against good fighters, and he holds a large edge over Prado in total rounds. With 214 professional rounds compared to 153 for Prado, there's another reason to view Donaire as the man to beat in this match.

12

Not only has Donaire fought over 200 rounds, he's put in the work against the best fighters in his weight region. Prado will be the first opponent Donaire has faced since February 2010 who wasn't a current or former world champion. That's 12 consecutive fights against the most elite fighters in his weight classes.

No one can accuse Donaire of ducking anyone.

Prediction

I can't imagine this fight lasting longer than five rounds. A motivated Donaire, who will also be inspired by the Filipino faithful, should tear through Prado. Donaire's hard, whacking left hook is going to catch Prado flush sometime during the first three rounds. That should spell the end of the night and another win for Donaire.

---

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If Carl Frampton wanted to make a statement in front of Scott Quigg, then his victory over Chris Avalos surely must have achieved his aim.

The Belfast boxer retained his IBF super-bantamweight title in impressive fashion at the Odyssey Arena in his home city, stopping the frisky but flawed Avalos in the fifth round.

The victory stretches Frampton’s professional record to 20-0.

It also grows the possibility of a clash with fellow unbeaten fighter Quigg, who was at ringside to see his longtime rival systematically destroy the challenger.

Avalos had done everything he could to get under the skin of the champion, and according to Frampton, even Avalos' family got involved:

On another note, Avalos' mother hit me with a bit of chewing gum straight out of her mouth. Lovely lady she is

— Carl Frampton MBE (@RealCFrampton) February 27, 2015

Things had threatened to boil over at a lively weigh-in on Friday, though Mike Criscio, Avalos' manager, insisted there was no incident involving gum, per the Belfast Telegraph.

The American continued his attempts to annoy his rival right up until the first bell sounded.

Frampton could easily have lost his cool after all of the pre-fight antics. In front of a partisan crowd all there to see him perform, it would have been easy to get carried away and go looking for a little payback.

Instead, though, he remained cool, sticking perfectly to the plan devised by trainer Shane McGuigan.

Avalos helped him out with his approach. Intent on getting himself involved in a toe-to-toe battle, the Californian left himself open too often to be hit on the counter.

He even allowed Frampton a free shot in the second round, his brief concerns over a problem with his right shoulder quickly disappearing when he took a big left hand flush in the face.

The end came when an onslaught from the Northern Irishman proved enough for referee Howard Foster to step in and call a halt to proceedings.

Frampton had delivered a display of real maturity, as well as a perfect birthday present for his manager, Barry McGuigan, on the day the former featherweight world champion turned 54.

“@RealCFrampton: It's time to do the @scottquigg fight now!”

I'm ready lets get it made!

— Scott Quigg (@scottquigg) March 1, 2015

Quigg was fulsome in his praise for the local boy, telling Kevin Mitchell of the Guardian:

He boxed well, kept calm. As long as he kept his cool it was only a matter of time before Avalos started getting reckless and overconfident. 

When he started doing that Carl picked the right shots. You couldn’t argue with the stoppage.

In the same article, Quigg revealed he was still recovering from surgery on a hand injury, though he hoped to be ready for a fight with Frampton in “July or the end of June.”

Frampton is ready to do a deal, per BBC Sport: “I’d love to fight Scott Quigg in a summer showdown. It would be massive. It should happen.” 

It should happen, but there is a lot of negotiating to do first before any contracts are signed.

A venue will have to be agreed upon, though that may not be the biggest stumbling block. Selling tickets should not be an issue.

However, choosing who airs the fight could be.

@sheppast these kind of fights don't come around often - fighters should fight for the most money possible secure their family's future

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) March 1, 2015

Frampton’s latest victory was broadcast on free-to-air channel ITV. Quigg, meanwhile, has most recently been seen in action live on Sky Sports.

His promoter, Eddie Hearn, has been involved in pay-per-view events with Sky in recent times, most notably the Carl Froch vs. George Groves rematch at Wembley last summer. 

It can only be hoped a compromise can be reached, allowing Frampton and Quigg to end their verbal sparring and deliver a fight the British sporting public wants to see.

In his blog for Sky Sports, former world champion Johnny Nelson said, "Only a handful of fighters with world titles truly believe they are the best in the world. Does Deontay Wilder? No, he knows Wladimir Klitschko is out there. Frampton believes he is the best."

Whether Frampton is the best super-bantamweight out there remains to be seen. Quigg, Guillermo Rigondeaux—the WBA super champion—and WBC titleholder Leo Santa Cruz may beg to differ.

Frampton was, though, undoubtedly the best one in action in Belfast on Saturday. It was hard to not be impressed by the manner and style of his triumph over Avalos.

Carl "The Jackal" Frampton (19-0, 13 KO) will defend his IBF super bantamweight title on Saturday against Chris "The Hitman" Avalos (25-2, 19 KO) in the champion's hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Odyssey Arena will be rocking as Frampton makes his first defense of the title against a tough American fighter who has won his last six fights.

The energy for this bout should be incredible. Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Feb. 28 at 5:50 p.m. ET

Where: Odyssey Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland

TV: ITV

Looking for Style Points

He has the world title, now Frampton is looking to win bouts as impressively as possible. Per BBC.com, Frampton said:

"I want to keep on winning and look explosive in every single contest. He's cocky [Avalos] but I'll knock that out of him."

Frampton's explosive victories over Kiko Martinez and Jeremy Parodi in 2013, along with his win over Hugo Fidel Cazares in 2014, made an impression on folks in the boxing community. The knockouts punctuated Frampton's arrival to the class of the elite in his division.

To graduate to elite status in the pound-for-pound rankings, Frampton has to continue to win impressively and take on bigger and better competition.

That likely means facing WBC champ Leo Santa Cruz and/or WBO and WBA title holder Guillermo Rigondeaux at some point.

For now, Avalos qualifies as a satisfactory test for the 28-year-old Frampton. It's one the champion fully expects to pass.

Born to Fight

Lancaster, California, native Chris Avalos calls boxing his first love, per David Kelly of the Belfast Telegraph. Avalos said that some of his peers growing up were led astray by gangs and drugs. What kept Avalos out of adverse situations?

He said:

Boxing gave me a purpose and a direction, it kept me away from the gangs and things like that. Growing up in the gym kept me on the right path and you know I just love to fight, and I know that to be a good fighter you have to be dedicated...I was just born to fight.

On Saturday, his purpose will be to dethrone Northern Ireland's favorite boxing son in his hometown. It's going to be a tall task, but Avalos is no stiff. He's scored three straight knockout or technical knockout wins over decent competition, and he's never been stopped. At just 25 years old, he's approaching his prime as a boxer.

Now is the ideal time to be heading into the biggest fight of his career.

Wonder what Frampton was referring to when he called Avalos "cocky"?

In the interview below with Irish-Boxing.com, Avalos says that he's sparred with better fighters than Frampton during training.

Those are fighting words. We'll see who can back up their talk on Saturday.

Prediction

Avalos loves to apply pressure. He has a nice wide stance and a good chin. He isn't that difficult to hit, especially with right hands over the top of his periodically low left hand.

Frampton will need to be careful early to avoid eating a shot that puts him peril. However, once he times him, Frampton should be able to open up a bit more.

Ultimately, Frampton's physical gifts and increasing confidence will put him in position to succeed.

He'll catch Avalos with a big shot in the seventh round that ends the challenger's evening.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

On paper, it looks like WBC super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KO) has another easy opponent in 25-year-old Jesus Ruiz (33-5-5, 22 KO). The two Mexican fighters will clash as part of the undercard for the WBC heavyweight title bout, which features champion Bermane Stiverne and undefeated KO artist Deontay Wilder.

Expectations aren't high for Ruiz. While he sports a fairly impressive record, he hasn't fought anyone close to Santa Cruz's level. Fight fans can only hope the challenger is capable of making the champion work hard for what looks like an easy victory.

Here's how you can watch the entire card.

When: Saturday, Jan. 17 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas

TV: Showtime

Live Stream: BoxNation (subscription required and region restricted)

Saving Himself

Without question, Santa Cruz's matchmaking in his last two fights has been laughable. This fight seems set to extend the joke. It appears as if Santa Cruz is being saved for bigger fights—mainly one with WBA and WBO champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. 

Recently, Santa Cruz told Kylie Krabb of RingTV.com, "If it was up to me, I would fight (Rigondeaux) whenever. I am tired of people telling me that I am scared. I am looking for that fight as soon as possible. He is not invincible. I think I have a chance to beat him. I know he is a tough fighter, but that's what we are here for, to fight the best."

As long as Santa Cruz continues to face the likes of Ruiz, he's going to catch flak. This is the fight that's in place for the champion now. He must focus on the task at hand, or he might lose the opportunity he's saving himself for.

The Sacrifice

It's safe to assume Ruiz is probably getting the biggest payday of his career Saturday night. The price he'll pay for the payday might be a painful one. 

Three of Ruiz's last eight bouts were scheduled for fewer than 10 rounds. This is also just the third time Ruiz will have fought outside of Mexico. This will be the first and perhaps only time we see Ruiz on such a big stage.

Aside from dealing with a world-class fighter, Ruiz also has to able to handle the moment. 

Prediction

I see no way for Ruiz to beat Santa Cruz. The champion might be caught looking ahead, but the talent gap is so wide that Santa Cruz has room for error. He can win this fight without his best work. 

Santa Cruz is a crowd-pleasing fighter who is getting uncomfortable with the perception that he's not fighting top competition. Because of that, he'll come out looking to make a statement against Ruiz.

An early-round KO win for Santa Cruz is my prediction.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

WBA super bantamweight champion Scott Quigg has his sights set on one or all of his fellow titleholders in the weight class. With potential bouts against the likes of Carl Frampton, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Leo Santa Cruz as possibilities, Quigg is on the cusp of a major payday and a great career opportunity.

The 26-year-old from Bury, Lancashire, will be defending his title Saturday at the Echo Arena against Japanese contender Hidenori Otake.

Quigg desperately wants the big fight, but before he gets that, he has to take down 33-year-old Otake. This is just one of a slew of awesome fights on tap in this card headlined by the rematch of Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew.

Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: Echo Arena in Liverpool

TV: Sky Box Office

Live Stream: BoxNation (subscription required and region restricted)

The Book on Quigg

Every time Quigg fights, he seems to get better. Many in the boxing community have held back praise because he's yet to capture the signature win that will vault him to the forefront of the super bantamweight division. 

Quigg is currently the ignored champion in the division. Of all the champions at 122 pounds, Quigg is most certainly the least known worldwide. Quigg knows it, and that's why he's taken to calling out his fellow champions.

Per Tom Gray of The Ring Magazine, Quigg said:

Right now there’s nothing I can do except beat who they put in front of me. I have repeatedly called for fights with Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz, but if they don’t materialize then the time has come to take on Guillermo Rigondeaux. In an ideal world I would take on Frampton and Santa Cruz first but this isn’t an ideal world, so I simply want the biggest fight possible. Early next year, I have an obligation to fight the winner of Tyson Cave and Oscar Escandon, however a fight with Rigondeaux could supersede that.

Beating Otake won't move him any closer to becoming a household name, but it will set him up for the type of fight that will garner attention and a big payday.

Rigondeaux is likely the least desirable of the champions. He is regarded as the best of the four, but—outside of Quigg—he has the least notoriety. 

Quigg may have to take whatever fight he's able to get.

The Book on Otake

Me an my opponent Hidernori Otake! Tune in on sky boxoffice Saturday to watch my fight live http://t.co/13YMcwWmph pic.twitter.com/RhgcR2T3TG

— Scott Quigg (@scottquigg) November 19, 2014

Saturday's fight is going to be a major road trip for Otake. 

Through 26 professional fights, the veteran has never fought outside of his home country. It's difficult enough to journey away from home to challenge a champion, but going into the titleholder's country makes the task all the more difficult.

Aside from the difficulties created by the fight's geography, Otake is also fighting an opponent who is clearly the best he has faced in his career.

In Otake's last bout, he won a close unanimous decision over Takafumi Nakajima. Nakajima was competing in just the second bout of his career scheduled for more than eight rounds. Styles make fights, but it's not an encouraging sign for Otake heading into his battle with Quigg.

Unless he's able to present a problem stylistically for Quigg, it could be a quick night. As a predominant inside fighter with only average hand speed, Otake is looking at an uphill battle.

Prediction

It's hard to imagine a scenario in which Otake pulls off the upset here. Quigg's hand speed is superior, his skills are more refined, and he has a big edge in power. Expect Quigg to stop Otake by the fifth round.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

Scott Quigg quickly dispatched Stephane Jamoye as expected on Saturday night in Manchester, England, retaining his WBA super-bantamweight title with a brutal body blow in the third round.

The main event fight on Saturday night's card was lopsided going in with the champion Quigg pegged up against Jamoye, who replaced Paulus Ambunda as the 25-year-old's opponent in the fight. He's a former European bantamweight titleholder, but it became apparent seconds into Round 1 that he was no match for Quigg.

Dangerous body shots came early and often in Saturday's fight, much to the demise of Jamoye. The heavy favorite pummeled him with timely blows and easily shrugged off every attempt from Jamoye to desperately claw back into the fight.

With the easy victory, Quigg improves to 29-0-2, while Jamoye loses his sixth career fight. 

Sky Sports Boxing summed up the winning punch:

Devastating body shot from @scottquigg stops Stepane Jamoye in the 3rd round! #skyboxing

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) September 13, 2014

According to Adam Abramowitz of Saturday Night Boxing, Jamoye attempted to keep fighting but was unable to:

Right hand to the body destroys Jamoye in the third. Jamoye hits the deck. he got up but looked awful. Ref stopped it.

— adam abramowitz (@snboxing) September 13, 2014

From the onset of Saturday's fight, Quigg established the tone. He wasn't going to get out of his comfort zone, even if Jamoye decided to go for broke and pull out all the stops early.

The Belgian came out guns ablazing, trying to overpower Quigg with more energy. But it quickly backfired, as Jamoye's aggression left him susceptible to his opponent's elite body striking.

What's more, Jamoye spent too much of his energy attacking and had little left to defend himself. That allowed for Quigg to add on flurries of jabs that constantly left Jamoye woozy, as ByTheMin Boxing noted:

https://twitter.com/ByTheMinBoxing/status/510904835798228993

The jabs were very effective, but it was ultimately the plethora of body shots that did Jamoye in, as Alex Morris noted:

Great bodyshots by Quigg throughout, just demolished Jamoye

— Alex Morris (@KTCboxing) September 13, 2014

It took no time for the storylines to shift from Saturday's fight into a peek at the future. In fact, it started before the fight even took place. 

Up next for Quigg is more than likely a highly anticipated showdown with Carl "The Jackal" Frampton, the undefeated Northern Irishman who has never had a chance to fight for a WBA title. It was so anticipated that Quigg had the following to say before Saturday's fight, per BBC Sport: "We have been open to that fight for a long time. I will be ready once I have dealt with Jamoye. I will beat Carl Frampton, and that will be the defining night of my career. It is not about world titles. It is about me and him getting in that ring."

Quigg's confidence is encouraging, considering a vast majority of those in this Sky Sports Boxing poll believe he'll come up short against Frampton:

So 78% of the public think Frampton beats Quigg! Is it that wide? Have your say? #skyboxingquigg or #skyboxingframpton

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) September 13, 2014

At the very least, a potential matchup between Frampton and Quigg would offer contrasting styles, per Abramowitz:

What's great about a Frampton-Quigg fight is that the two fighters have such different strengths and weaknesses. Fantastic style matchup.

— adam abramowitz (@snboxing) September 13, 2014

It will still take some hashing out between the two sides, and Leo Santa Cruz and Guillermo Rigondeaux are also possible opponents. But if the early rumblings are any indication, Quigg vs. Frampton would not only be a hit but probably the best overall fight.

Quigg would have to step up his game even more to hang with the undefeated Frampton. The challenge he would face in that fight makes Saturday night's encounter look like nothing more than a tune-up.

And if that's what it was, at least Quigg handled it accordingly and put Jamoye away early with a resounding victory. 

The main undercard bout for the rematch between pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Marcos Rene Maidana features WBC super bantamweight champion Leo "Terremoto" Santa Cruz. 

Santa Cruz will face former sparring partner Manuel Roman. 

One look at the odds, per OddsShark.com, tells you just how highly favored the champion is in this one. Santa Cruz is listed as a -10000 favorite.

While this is the fight that will likely go on before the main event, it may not be the most competitive undercard bout. Still, Santa Cruz is one of the more exciting young fighters in the world. You may very well get an opportunity to see him put on a show.

It all begins at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 13, and it broadcasts exclusively on Showtime pay-per-view.

Low Risk, Low Reward

If Santa Cruz doesn't dominate Roman on Saturday night, his stock will drop among knowledgeable folks in the boxing community. With all due respect to Roman, there is no way Santa Cruz's team would put him in the ring with a former sparring partner who had ever caused the champion any real problems.

"I used to figure him out and break (Roman) down in sparring." - Leo Santa Cruz on his opponent Manuel Roman for the $70 #Mayhem PPV. Great.

— Gabriel Montoya™ (@Gabriel_Montoya) August 17, 2014

Terremoto is expected to demolish his opponent, and if he doesn't, it'll be seen as a bad performance. 

After this fight is done—assuming Santa Cruz takes care of business—there are a ton of options available for him. He could take on WBA super and WBO champion Guillermo Rigondeaux if the Golden Boy-Top Rank issue can be resolved.

Santa Cruz could also meet newly crowned IBF champion Carl Frampton or regular WBA champion Scott Quigg—assuming the latter beats Stephane Jamoye earlier in the day on Saturday.

The plethora of potentially lucrative fights on the horizon likely explains why Santa Cruz and his team were so safe picking an opponent.

Looking For a Miracle

Manuel Roman says "To win the upset against @leosantacruz2 would mean the world to me" #Mayhem pic.twitter.com/PYtXFYwEet

— Mayweather Promotions (@MayweatherPromo) September 9, 2014

Against enormous odds and a champion as talented as Santa Cruz, Roman's chances to pull the monumental upset don't look very good. Roman is vastly inexperienced, having only fought in two fights scheduled for 10 rounds in his career. 

He's had just five less fights than Santa Cruz, but the champion has held a world title since 2012. 

It's difficult to quantify just how much of an edge in experience that gives him. Roman is on a two-fight win streak, but the last opponent he defeated was Jose Silveira, and he came in with a 15-10 record.

Many are envisioning another one-sided blowout similar to the one we saw a few weeks ago when Danny Garcia viciously knocked out Rod Salka in the second round.

Dan Ambrose of Boxing News 24 writes: 

We’re basically talking about Danny Garcia vs. Rod Salka 2 in the Santa Cruz v. Roman fight, because this is the same kind of situation.

Like Salka, Roman fights in a division below Santa Cruz at bantamweight instead of super bantamweight. The main difference between Salka and Roman is that Roman is ranked #13 by the WBC, so he’s just barely ranked in the top [15]. He’s a fringe contender.

Is Roman in for a short night of work?

Prediction

Unless Santa Cruz experiences a serious letdown, he'll finish Roman within three rounds. This is a huge mismatch, and one can only hope Roman doesn't have to take too much punishment en route to receiving what will probably amount to his biggest payday in the sport.

Santa Cruz will win by KO.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

WBA super bantamweight champion Scott Quigg (28-0-2, 21 KO) is one of the hottest young fighters in boxing, and he'll be looking to stay on course Saturday when he defends his title against Stephane Jamoye (26-5, 16 KO) at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, England.

Hailing from Bury, Lancashire, the 25-year-old Quigg will have a good number of his growing legion of fans in attendance to root him on. Originally, Quigg was supposed to defend his title against Paulus Ambunda, but the latter suffered a hamstring injury. Jamoye stepped in as his replacement.

Quigg hopes to not only win, but to put forth yet another impressive performance. He's stopped his last two opponents since he drew with Yoandris Salinas in Oct. 2013.

Both Diego Oscar Silva and Tshifhiwa Munyai were dispatched in the second round in Quigg's last two fights. He'd love another quick night against Jamoye. Quigg already has a megafight with newly crowned IBF champion Carl Frampton in his sights.

My interview with @scottquigg who tells us to expect 'the best Scott Quigg there has ever been' on September 13th - https://t.co/vtVV4xJFWp

— Sean Watson (@SeanWatson18) August 9, 2014

Per Sky Sports, Quigg said: "Once I've taken care of Jamoye, I'm ready for that Carl Frampton fight. 100 percent."

It'll be up to Jamoye to make Quigg eat his words and regret his presumptuousness. Not many are giving him a chance. Per Odds Shark, Jamoye is a massive +700 underdog. Will he make himself a speed bump or a ditch in Quigg's road to a glorious clash with Frampton? Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, September 13 at 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. locally

Where: Phones 4u Arena in Manchester

TV: Sky Sports

Looking for Career-Defining Opponent

Quigg's eyes had to fill up with dollar signs and opportunity when Frampton defeated Kiko Martinez to become the IBF super bantamweight champion on Saturday.

Not often does a young champion see a potential rival ascend to his level with all of the major connecting points for a smashing commercial success so perfectly aligned.

Here's how @scottquigg and Carl Frampton compare ahead of the former's fight with Stephane Jamoye. #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/ym1Bf0BJus

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 10, 2014

Like Quigg, Frampton is undefeated. He's from the United Kingdom (Belfast, Northern Ireland), and he's only 27 years old. If ever there was a fight that screams the next English soccer-stadium attraction, it's a Quigg-Frampton unification bout.

The winner would skyrocket up boxing's pound-for-pound list. More potential epic matchups with the likes of WBA super world and WBO champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and WBC titleholder Leo Santa Cruz would be possibilities.

All of the above would be huge fights and potential paydays, but Quigg must handle Jamoye first. Many best-laid plans have fallen apart in fights like the one coming up on Saturday.

Tough and Tested

Despite the fact that he's just 24 years old, Jamoye has accumulated a wealth of experience. He's been a professional for seven years, he's had 31 fights and boxed 190 rounds. That is 60 more rounds than the champion has fought.

Jamoye has also been in the ring with some top-notch competition.

In April, he fought Shinsuke Yamanaka for the WBC bantamweight title. He was stopped in the ninth round and never really had much of an opportunity to get going in that bout.

He stopped Lee Haskins in 2012, but he lost a competitive split decision to Jamie McDonnell in 2011 and was stopped by Santa Cruz later in the year.

While he's faced many recognizable names, he's more often than not come out on the short end of the stick. This is an opportunity for him to score the win of a lifetime.

Jamoye is known for his toughness and heart. Even in defeat, he really showed those qualities against McDonnell. Will that be enough to defeat Quigg?

Prediction

As gritty and resilient as Jamoye is, he lacks the skills and size to match up with Quigg. This will be Jamoye's first fight at 122 pounds. He showed vulnerability to the KO at bantamweight and lower weight divisions. 

Against a strong and young super bantamweight champion who is really finding his power of late, Jamoye will be in trouble.

Quigg will make quick work of yet another opponent to move closer to a fight with Frampton. Quigg may need another win and Frampton might have a safe defense against an unknown opponent before the scrap can happen, but with this win, Quigg will have done his part to keep the dream alive.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.