Featherweight

The Robert Guerrero vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai bout is getting top billing on Showtime this Saturday, but the most interesting fight on the tripleheader is the "Mr." Gary Russell Jr. (24-0, 14 KO) vs. Vasyl "Hi-Tech" Lomachenko (1-1, 1 KO) clash for the vacant WBO featherweight title.

There are hopes that this fight could be the first step toward breaking down the barriers of the Cold War between Golden Boy Promotions, with whom Russell Jr. is affiliated, and Top Rank who promotes Lomachenko. 

Beyond what's going to happen in the ring in that bout, this fight is hopefully the first of many cross-promotional events in the sport between athletes from the two biggest factions.

This will be Lomachenko's second-straight attempt to capture the WBO crown, despite having only two professional bouts. 

Lomachenko lost a close split-decision to then-champion Orlando Salido on March 1. However, Salido vacated the title because he didn't make weight before the bout.

Lomachenko is a native of the Ukraine who has an impressive amateur record (396-1).

While many may have argued against Lomachenko getting a title shot so early in his professional career, the 26-year-old showed flashes of brilliance late in the Salido bout.

The 26-year-old Russell Jr. has long been considered one of the best young fighters in the world. Some have suggested that he has been coddled as a young potential superstar and has never been tested against a talented professional.

That notion is about to be put to rest. Two extremely talented young lions are about to square off for a world title. How often does that happen? 

If you love boxing, you'll want to see this.

When: June 21 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: StubHub Center, Carson, California

TV: Showtime

Live Stream: BoxNation (subscription required and region restricted)

The Book on Russell Jr.

Getting a label as a fighter who ducks opposition early isn't a good look for a young fighter. But that's exactly what happened with Russell Jr.

Shortly after the bout with Lomachenko was announced, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix wrote:

To those who believed Gary Russell Jr. would go ahead with a fight against Vasyl Lomachenko, a tip of the hat to you. You were in a rare minority, like the few who thought Oscar De La Hoya beat Floyd Mayweather and the handful who actually enjoyed the series finale of Lost.

Russell Jr. knows the criticism and jokes about his past opponents exists, but he wants to assure fans that a fight with Lomachenko was indeed what he wanted. 

He talks about it in this interview with FightHype via YouTube. He also questions Lomachenko being allowed to fight for a world title in his second and third professional fights.

It seems Russell Jr.'s team had a plan for its fighter. Low-risk opponents were on tap until he got in range for a title shot. Now that he's finally in line to fight for gold, he'll be taking on another young and formidable talent.

Though Lomachenko has little experience as a professional, he undoubtedly represents a real challenge for Russell Jr.

The Book on Lomachenko

Early on against Salido, Lomachenko looked befuddled by the rugged and battle-tested Mexican veteran. While Salido's win was a just outcome for what transpired in the fight, Lomachenko was coming on quickly at the end of the bout.

By the time the final bell rang, there was a real question as to who the better fighter was. Unfortunately for Lomachenko, he started using his speed and athleticism a little too late.

In an interview with Anson Wainwright of The Ring Magazine, Lomachenko inferred that Salido's illegal weight was the biggest factor in his loss. 

Lomachenko said:

If I would take a step back and I see what's going on in professional boxing – an example is the (Denis) Lebedev and Guillermo (Jones) that fight didn't go on, it was cancelled because one of the fighters didn't do what he was supposed to coming in the fight – most likely I wouldn't take that bout, that bout wouldn't have happened.

It's already (too) late to talk about. The title was at 126-pounds but when he came into the fight I was fighting a welterweight, a 147-pounder.

Armed with the experience gained from the fight with Salido, Lomachenko is prepared to step in the ring with another of the sport's young guns. 

Who will win?

Prediction

This is one of the most difficult fights to predict in recent memory. Lomachenko's professional body of work is not vast, and Russell Jr.'s action against top-level competition is scant, if not nonexistent.

Which fighter has shown the most in their careers thus far?

Russell Jr. possesses the fastest hands I've seen since Meldrick Taylor. That's high praise, but one look at the way "Mr." puts together five- and six-punch combinations is all the proof you should need to validate the comparison.

Unlike Taylor, Russell Jr. has punching power to go with his quickness. At 5'4", he's compact and sturdy. He is giving up two inches in height, per BoxRec, but Lomachenko's reach isn't listed.

The eyeball test says Lomachenko's arms are longer as well.

Could Russell Jr.'s lack of length be his downfall in this bout? The best way to beat a length disadvantage is with explosiveness, and Russell Jr. definitely has that. 

That said, Lomachenko seems to have nice pop on his punches as well. He delivered a well-placed left-hand shot to the midsection of Jose Ramirez in his debut. The punch ended Ramirez's night.

Russell Jr. is no Jose Ramirez, though.

His speed and power must be respected, and ultimately his physical gifts, confidence and experience will be the difference.

The official prediction is a scintillating KO in the fifth round for Russell Jr., but take this caveat under consideration. 

If this prediction were in a football confidence pool, it would have a No. 1 next to it.

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There was a tense moment, but Evgeny "The Mexican Russian" Gradovich (19-0, 9 KO) successfully defended his IBF featherweight title with a unanimous-decision win over Alexander Miskirtchian (24-3-1) on Saturday in Macao, China.

In the sixth round, Miskirtchian dropped the champion with a hard jab with about 40 seconds left in the frame. Gradovich didn't appear to be hurt, but he knew from the outset that Miskirtchian came to fight.

Per BoxRec.com, the final judges' scorecards favored Gradovich and are as follows:

• Lisa Giampa 118-110
• Levi Martinez 117-110
• Patrick Morley 117-110

For most of the 12 rounds, Gradovich proved to have the faster hands and feet. He beat Miskirtchian to the punch routinely and pulled out a workman-like victory.

Max Boxing's Steve Kim agreed:

Throughout the night, Miskirtchian proved he was a warrior by taking the best that Gradovich had to give and offering a little punishment in return.

The scores would suggest this was an easy night's work for Gradovich, but it was anything but. Miskirtchian stood in close, and he didn't give way under Gradovich's pressure. In fact, he backed the champion up on a few occasions.

By no means did the challenger deserve more rounds than he was awarded, but he made the champion work for every thing he got.

Predictably, Miskirtchian talked about enjoying the battle, per Top Rank Boxing:

With this win in the books, Gradovich has a ton of options. He could look to challenge Nonito Donaire, who was victorious over Simpiwe Vetyeka in a headbutt-shortened main event.

Nicholas Walters is also a possibility, as the interim WBA champion stopped the rugged Vic Darchinyan in another undercard bout from Macao.

Donaire would be the bigger money bout, but he may be locked into a rematch with Vetyeka after the fight ended after just four rounds because of an accidental headbutt.

In any case, Gradovich is well on his way to claiming a spot on the pound-for-pound list if he can successfully unify titles at 126 pounds.

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A victory for Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire over Super World WBA Featherweight Champion Simpiwe Vetyeka on Saturday in Macao, China, is not a foregone conclusion. But if the heavy-favorite Donaire (per OddsShark.com) does what most expect he will, he'll have a good number of options in front of him as the new champion.

Tom Gray of Ring Magazine doesn't anticipate Donaire will have many issues. Gray writes:

The lethargy that crept in during Donaire's rematch with Vic Darchinyan should be replaced by ample motivation, given that a world title in a fifth weight class is on the line. I think the "Filipino Flash" wins this fight convincingly because he is levels above the opposition.

Most of the champions at 126 pounds are signed with HBO, which means there's a good number of unification bouts within Donaire's reach should he win.

Here's a look at the possibilities.

The Winner of Nicholas Walters-Vic Darchinyan WBA World Championship Bout

This bout is on the undercard of the Donaire-Vetyeka bill and could be an entertaining fight in itself.

Walters is the only the World WBA Champion—not the Super World WBA Champion. That's just another example of how ridiculous the title structures have become in boxing.

In any case, Walters hasn't had the opportunity to prove himself on a major stage before now.

The 28-year-old Jamaican known as "The Axe Man" is 23-0 with 19 KOs. He'll be tested by the awkward, tough and unpredictable Darchinyan on Saturday. Darchinyan has faced Donaire twice and been stopped on both occasions. Still, he'd love a third shot at Donaire.

Darchinyan told Steve Kim of Max Boxing:

In the future, I’m still looking for a fight against Donaire. I’m much bigger than the last fight. You will see the difference. If I can unify the belts with him, have two titles, I think Donaire has to fight me. But I think after the last fight, Donaire’s not going to fight me because he feels my power.

If he looks too far ahead, he could find himself in peril with Walters. The champion can punch, and he has a very solid jab. By the time Saturday night is over, the Walters-Darchinyan bout might be the most memorable fight.

WBC Champion—Jhonny Gonzalez (56-8, 47 KO)

After Gonzalez's stunning upset win over Abner Mares back in Aug. 2013 that landed him the WBC title, he was inactive until winning a technical decision over Clive Atwell on May 24.

It wasn't a sparkling performance, but the 32-year-old Mexican veteran had almost a year-long layoff to deal with.

He's a big-time puncher as evidenced by his first-round decimation of Mares, and his 47 knockouts in 64 fights.

At some point he wants a rematch with Mares. It would be a major draw—especially in the Mexican boxing community.

But a fight with Donaire would be big as well. Either way, Gonzalez stands to make a good amount of cash.

IBF Champion—Evgeny Gradovich (18-0, 9 KO)

The IBF title holder is known as "The Mexican Russian" because of his fighting style and heritage. He is also in action on Saturday in Macao. He doesn't figure to have many problems with Alexander Miskirtchian, though.

Miskirtchian is slow and untested, so anything short of a dominating performance from Gradovich would be a surprise.

Gradovich is the lesser-known of the champions and potential opponents for Donaire. He's also the youngest and one of the most dangerous. A bout with Donaire could be spectacular.

Gradovich never stops coming forward, and he has foot speed that is reminiscent of Ricky Hatton. It makes for a tough matchup for any opponent.

Stylistically, his hard-charging approach against Donaire's hand speed and flashy counters could create quite an impact.

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Simpiwe Vetyeka is looking to pull his second-straight stunning upset when he faces Nonito Donaire in Macao, China, on Saturday night.

Vetyeka dominated previously unbeaten Indonesian legend Chris John in his last fight. In the process, Vetyeka captured the WBA Super World Featherweight Championship.

Now he faces Donaire in what will be an interesting bout stylistically. Donaire knows this is a huge fight for him.

There are those who believe his time as a pound-for-pound great are over. According to Lem Satterfield of Ring Magazine, Knockout Nation's Andreas Hale said this of Donaire:

It's obvious that Nonito Donaire isn't the same fighter who was considered the heir to Manny Pacquiao's throne and had a stellar 2012 campaign.

With that concept as motivation, Donaire seems intent upon proving the doubters wrong.

Donaire spoke about the fight at Thursday's pre-fight press conference in Macao. Per Karl Freitag of FightNews.com, Donaire said:

2013 was a year I would say was covered in darkness, but that’s how life is…for me this is a new beginning with Vetyeka. He’s an amazing fighter and we understand what he’s capable of. For us this is a statement, regardless of whether I have it or not. And that’s something everyone will be excited to see. And we’ll find out Saturday.

Donaire looked good at the weigh-in, as you can see below. Now it's time to show and prove in the ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uukVs057bZU

Here's a look at the Tale of the Tape and analysis of the matchup.

(Information per BoxRec.com. Donaire profile, Vetyeka profile.)

Donaire	Category	Vetyeka
32	Wins	26
2	Losses	2
0	Draws	0
21	KO	16
5'5.5"	Height	5'7"
126	Weight	125.5
68"	Reach	67.5"
Philippines	Country	South Africa

Experience

Donaire has more overall experience, and he also has more world championship rounds.

The Filipino Flash has 79 rounds fighting for or defending a world title. Vetyeka has just 18 if you count his 12-round battle with Daud Cino Yordan for the IBO crown.

Macao has proved to be a friendly spot for Filipino fighters of late. Manny Pacquiao bouts in Macao have seemed almost like fights in Manilla for him because of the largely pro-Pacquiao crowd.

Expect Donaire to have a similar following. That makes the environment all the more in his favor.

Length

Even though Vetyeka is an inch-and-a-half taller, Donaire's reach is a half-inch longer.

Thus there should be no real advantage for either man here. Jeffrey Mathebula gave Donaire some problems with his jab and length. But Mathebula is 5'11" with a reach of 72 inches.

Vetyeka clearly won't have that type of an advantage with his jab.

Power

Vetyeka isn't really a one-punch-knockout type of fighter, but he does have some pop. He batters opponents and can stop them with cumulative punishment. This is how he took apart John.

Can he find Donaire—a more elusive target—as frequently?

We'll find out on Saturday, but one thing is for sure, Vetyeka must beware of Donaire's nasty left hook in the process. 

Donaire proved he still has the thunder to stop an opponent with one shot.

That's what he did against Vic Darchinyan, and Vetyeka must be careful not to fall prey to Donaire's power.

Speed

Even if Donaire has lost a bit of the zip on his punches, he's still quicker than Vetyeka. The champion isn't a plodder, but his punches are clearly more methodical and take more time getting from point A to B.

Because of this dynamic, Vetyeka is better-suited closing the distance and making the fight more of a brawl.

Styles Make Fights

In recent bouts, Donaire has been looking to land the one big shot to end the night. In his prime, he was more of a boxer-puncher.

Having returned his father to his training camp, the two promise The Filipino Flash will get back to his original style.

Donaire Sr. told reporters at the pre-fight press conference, per Box Nation/East Side Boxing:

Nonito got away from what made him great – his speed and footwork in combination with his power. Last year he just came forward, didn’t move his head and relied too much on his power, and that’s exactly the wrong way to fight a pure boxer like Rigondeaux as we all saw.

If Donaire can return to his roots as a sticker and mover, Vetyeka won't have much of a chance.

The champion needs his opponent in front of him to have success. Lateral movement will give Donaire the angles and accentuate the speed advantage.

All signs point to a Donaire win, but this is boxing and anything can happen.

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@BMaziqueFPBR

Is Nonito "Filipino Flash" Donaire still one of the pound-for-pound best in boxing? Not if he can't beat WBA featherweight champion Simpiwe Vetyeka on Saturday night in Macao, China.

That's meant as no disrespect to Vetyeka. He earned his title by battering previously undefeated Chris John back in Dec. 2013.

But if Donaire were in his prime and still performing at the level he was when he flattened Fernando Montiel, Toshiaki Nishioka, Jorge Arce and Omar Narvaez (unanimous decision), he'd walk through Vetyeka.

However, since the unanimous-decision loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux and the birth of his son, Donaire hasn't looked the same.

Against Vic Darchinyan in Nov. 2013, in a rematch of a classic 2007 scrap, Donaire was getting all he could handle before he stopped the tough Armenian in the ninth round.

What's wrong? Maybe nothing. Perhaps Rigondeaux is just really that good. All signs point to that being true. El Chacal is 13-0 and made the tough Joseph Agbeko look like an amateur in their bout in Dec. 2013.

There's really no doubting Rigondeaux is one of the best in the business. But didn't we used to be sure Donaire was, too?

Maybe Darchinyan is just one of those awkward and tough guys who will always give Donaire a good fight.

That, too, isn't a preposterous statement. But perhaps the biggest reason Donaire isn't looking like a world beater anymore is because boxing is no longer the center of his world.

In this interview prior to the Rigondeaux fight, Donaire says that his soon-to-be-born son is all he thinks about. His demeanor when speaking about his upcoming bout with Rigondeaux is dismissive.

Anyone who finds fault in that is totally insane, but the truth of the matter is that athletes have to be selfish to be at their best. They have to place their preparation and practicing of their craft at the top of the mountain.

That's especially the case once they hit 30 years old and aren't blessed with the same physical gifts they had when they were in their 20s.

Donaire is now 31. 

Is he still vested enough in his craft to be an elite fighter? The questions that have arose from this article aren't the only of their kind.

In an article by Lem Satterfield of The Ring Magazine, Boxing Scene's Jake Donovan said: "The Fil-Am boxer-puncher was one of the best in the lower weight classes for the past seven years, but I believe his time passed."

Donaire wants to impress and silence all the doubters. Per Dino Maragay of The Philippine Star, Donaire said this during a pre-fight press conference: "Winning is important. But there's nothing better than a knockout. I don't predict all my fights but I always want to get a knockout."

A KO or TKO win would be big for Donaire. Vetyeka has never been stopped. A win like that would send a message to other featherweights and the boxing community that Donaire's back and ready to perform on an elite level.

If he's not impressive—or loses—all of the flash may be gone.

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Is Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (32-2, 21 KO) done as a elite fighter? He doesn't think so, but he'll have to prove it against a tough champion on Saturday night at the Cotai Arena in Macao.

The 31-year-old from Talibon in the Philippines faces WBA featherweight champion Simpiwe "V12" Vetyeka (26-2, 16 KO) in a bout that could vault Donaire into the conversation with champions like Jhonny Gonzalez, Evgeny Gradovich and Nicholas Walters. The latter two also fight in Macao on the same card.

Vetyeka took the title from previously undefeated Chris John in Dec. 2013.

Now he'll battle another high-profile opponent in his first defense.

This could be an entertaining bout. Here's how you can watch the action.

When: Saturday, May 31 

Where: Macao, China at Cotai Arena

TV: 4 p.m. ET HBO 2 (Tape Delay) 

Live Stream: 9 a.m. ET BoxNation (subscription required, region restrictions)

The Book on Donaire

At one point, Donaire was in most boxing enthusiasts' top-five pound-for-pound fighters. But after he was beaten up by Guillermo Rigondeaux in April 2013, and showed little desire to commit to the sport, his stock took a drastic dip.

Against Vic Darchinyan in their rematch of a 2007 scrap, Donaire stopped the aggressive Armenian in the ninth round. However, Donaire didn't look great in the bout.

The fight was even on one score card, and despite knocking Darchinyan down one in the decisive round, Donaire only had a four-point lead on the other two judges' cards, per BoxRec.

Per Lem Satterfield of The Ring Magazine, Donaire suffered a broken cheekbone in the fight.

It could be that Rigondeaux is just really good—which he is—and that Darchinyan is just really awkward—which he is as well. But Donaire knows he has something to prove.

Per Satterfield, Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene says:

We keep hearing about how the next fight will be Nonito Donaire at his best and his most exciting. The Fil-Am boxer-puncher was one of the best in the lower weight classes for the past seven years, but I believe his time passed.

Donaire must use these types of comments as motivation. Per Marc Anthony Reyes of the Philippines Inquirer, Donaire said:

“It’s been a long time since I entered a fight as an underdog but that has inspired me more."

Everybody needs a little inspiration some time. 

The Book on Vetyeka

Despite the fact that a win over John doesn't mean what it would have four years ago, Vetyeka is in position to really make a name for himself.

Were he to follow up his upset win over John with a victory over Donaire, the entire boxing world would have to take some notice.

The 33-year-old South African turned a corner when he stopped Daud Cino Yordan in April 2013. That won him the IBO title, and his momentum continued after beating John.

Knocking off Donaire would easily be his biggest win. The fact that the fight will be seen by a national HBO audience only makes it all the more important to shine. 

Can he create even more Donaire doubters, or will his title reign be a short one?

Prediction

In an interview posted on YouTube by P4Pesco before the Rigondeaux fight, Donaire told reporters "if a guy is faster than me, he is going to give me a lot of trouble. If he's not, it's not going to be a good fight."

While Donaire was wrong about his prediction for his scrap with El Chacal, he was right in general.

Fighters without above-average speed aren't usually going to be a major issue for him. That's the case with Vetyeka.

While he isn't exactly a plodder, he doesn't have the smooth quickness that Rigondeaux possesses, nor the herky-jerky, improbable attacks that Darchinyan has.

Donaire should win this bout with his hand speed and explosive left-hand counter shots.

A seventh-round TKO seems logical.

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@BMaziqueFPBR

IBF featherweight champion Evgeny "The Mexican Russian" Gradovich (18-0, 9 KO) is slowly but surely creeping into the consciousness of more boxing fans.

After winning the title from Billy Dib in March 2013 and successfully defending the crown against Mauricio Javier Munoz in July 2013, Gradovich mowed down Dib in the rematch in Nov. 2013.

Gradovich is now ready for his next challenge, and that would be the rugged Belgian Alexander Miskirtchian (24-2-1, 9 KO).

The two will wage war in Macao at the Cotai Arena.

Miskirtchian hasn't faced well-known competition, but he's never been stopped, and he fights a crowd-pleasing, come-forward style.

That's also Gradovich's M.O. This should be an interesting fight. It is the undercard feature for Nonito Donaire vs. Simpiwe Vetyeka for the latter's WBA crown and interim champion Nicholas Walters' bout with Vic Darchinyan.

There are some really good fight possibilities alive on HBO in the featherweight division. Alex McClintock of The Queensberry Rules writes:

One suspects the idea is to set Walters up with Donaire down the line, but Darchinyan’s weird crab stance and left-handedness have a way of freaking people out. Walters seems pretty unflappable, though.

Gradovich should also be in the mix there as well.

These bouts are simply the precursors.

When: Saturday, May 31 at 4 p.m. ET

Where: Macao, China at Cotai Arena

TV: HBO 2 (Tape Delay)

 

The Book on Gradovich

If you haven't already heard, Gradovich's nickname came from his fighting style. His slugging and aggressive approach is almost a carbon copy of many of the traditional Mexican sluggers.

It makes for a cool moniker and an exciting brand of fighting.

Gradovich's footwork suggests he could mix in a Scottish reference to his alias. He reminds me a bit of Ricky Hatton the way he uses his foot speed to close distance and apply pressure.

Like Hatton, Gradovich's background is in soccer, and those skills led him to the sweet science. In an interview with Anson Wainwright of The Ring Magazine, Gradovich said:

Actually I liked soccer but in the village where I lived I couldn’t play soccer because there’s never been a soccer field there. I started boxing as a warmup for soccer … then I began liking boxing and now it’s my passion.

A few of his opponents wish he had stuck to action on the pitch.

Gradovich is 27 years old, so he hit the title scene a bit late, but his level of activity is making up for any lost time.

He already has two successful title defenses under his belt. In order to get into some of the unification bouts in his weight class, he must beat Miskirtchian.

The Book on Miskirtchian

Miskirtchian hasn't lost a fight in nearly six years. Then again, he hasn't fought anyone you've probably ever heard of.

In watching the fights that are available online, Miskirtchian looks to be a sound body puncher with a good chin. 

To say he's taking a major step up in class is an understatement.

Despite Gradovich's limited professional experience, he's quite possibly the best fighter Miskirtchian will have ever faced.

Prediction

Hand and foot speed don't appear to be Miskirtchian's best attributes. His punches are long and take a bit too long to find a home. Against a limber and lively body like Gradovich, that will spell doom.

It's especially a bad sign when you consider Miskirtchian has just nine KO wins against subpar competition coming in.

He doesn't possess the equalizer that can negate a speed advantage.

Miskirtchian will get some love for his toughness, but Gradovich is going to beat him all night. Whether his corner or the referee stops the bout is probably the only question.

Because Gradovich isn't a heavy puncher himself, let's say Miskirtchian finishes but loses a lopsided unanimous decision.

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@BMaziqueFPBR

It's been nine months since Jhonny Gonzalez (55-8, 47 KO) scored a stunning KO win over Abner Mares to capture the WBC featherweight title. Gonzalez will step back into the ring on Saturday against little-known Guyanese fighter Clive "The Punisher" Atwell (12-0-1, 7 KO).

Not many are expecting this to be a tough battle for Gonzalez, but boxing savants and/or hardcore fans of both fighters will be interested in the bout nonetheless.

Here's the viewing information.

When: Saturday, May 24 at 11 p.m. ET

Where: Acapulco, Mexico

TV: Fox Deportes

The Book on Gonzalez

It seems that challengers are lining up by the day for a shot at Gonzalez. English contender Lee Selby is interested in challenging for Gonzalez's title. Mares was set to take on Gonzalez in a rematch, but the fight was called off after Mares suffered a rib injury.

The postponement of Gonzalez-Mares 2 is what has created the champion's long layoff. Upon learning that the rematch with Mares was cancelled, Gonzalez was understanding.

He said this, per Lem Satterfield of The Ring Magazine: 

"I'm disappointed of course, but I know that these things happen in boxing, and I wish Abner a speedy recovery. We both know that we'll meet again, and when we do, we'll give the fans a fight to remember."

Because ring rust could be a factor, Gonzalez's team could have felt that it made more sense to get its fighter in the ring with someone sooner than later.

With potentially big-money fights looming, Gonzalez would probably prefer to be rusty against Atwell than Mares, Selby or another more notable contender.

It's hard to argue with that train of thought.

Things have shifted drastically for Gonzalez since he stopped Mares.

B/R's own Kevin McRae says:

Gonzalez was left on the scrap heap, presumed done after being dropped and losing a technical decision to Daniel Ponce De Leon in a featherweight title bout in 2012. Most observers felt that his ring age was much higher than his actual age, owing to the many in-ring wars he’s survived.

Gonzalez's career has done a complete 180, and now his name is on the lips of almost every hungry featherweight.

As Gonzalez prepares for another potential war down the road, he'll be trying to keep his meeting with Atwell at a mere skirmish.

The Book on Atwell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzb674QC12A

If you've heard of Atwell, you're either a connoisseur of Guyanese boxing, a member of the 25-year-old's family or a bigger boxing nerd than I am.

It took a lot of YouTube and Daily Motion surfing to find any in-ring action of him. From what can be deduced from the few fights available online, Atwell looks to be a pretty good technical boxer.

His opponents have left a lot to be desired, so it is hard to know where to place Atwell's skill level. He has had just 13 professional fights in his career.

This fight will be his first outside of Guyana, so it remains to be seen how well he will react to fighting in a foreign land and in front of an almost exclusively pro-Gonzalez crowd.

More than anything, a lack of experience will be the biggest impediment he has to overcome.

The champion is a grizzled veteran with a wealth of experience. It'll be tough to pull off a victory against a fighter like Gonzalez in Mexico.

Prediction

Barring a stunning KO that rocks Mexico to its core, there's almost no way Atwell wins this fight. He's likely being paid as much for this fight as he's made in his previous 13 bouts combined.

He'd be smart to give it his best but to take the loss as a learning experience and hope to get back to this level in a more winnable situation.

Gonzalez should win by mid-round TKO.

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@BMaziqueFPBR

You may not have heard of Lee Selby (18-1, 7 KO) yet, but he and his promoter Eddie Hearn are trying to change that. On Saturday, Selby will take on Romulu Koasicha (21-3, 12 KO) at Motorpoint Arena in Selby's native Wales.

The bout will be for Selby's WBC international featherweight title, but the belt is secondary in this bout. It's not a world championship, and that's what Selby has his sights set on.

If Selby has his way, this will be a stepping stone to bigger and better things in the future. That said, he must not look beyond the tough and determined 23-year-old Mexican.

Koasicha has made it clear, he's coming to fight. Here's how you can catch the action.

When: Saturday, May 17, at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales

TV: Sky Sports

Live Stream: AWE

The Book on Selby

Having won 14 fights in a row, and coming off an impressive stoppage win over veteran Rendall Munroe, Selby's stock is high. Hearn talked in a recent announcement, via ESPN, about Selby's current run and plans:

"He put in a great performance against Munroe in a sold out arena in Cardiff and he can’t wait to get back there. He is nicely poised in the rankings and the plan is to be the mandatory challenger by the close of the year.”

Becoming a mandatory challenger would obviously put Selby in line to fight for his first world title. But Hearn doesn't seem to simply want Selby to tip-toe his way to a title shot. He's got his eye on a rather big fish for Selby's next fight.

Per Riath Al-Samarrai of The Daily Mail, Hearn said:

I really like Nonito Donaire next for Selby. There are talks of him moving up to featherweight and we could make that as a final eliminator for a shot at Jhonny Gonzalez, the WBC champion.

I have reached out to Top Rank and it is a fight I’d love to make.

That is an intriguing bout, but could all the talk about future opponents lead to a complacent performance on Saturday? If it does, Selby could be in for a tough night. 

The Book on Koasicha

Is Koasicha the most overlooked man in Selby's world? He could be. Despite being two years shy of his 25th birthday, Koasicha has already had 24 professional fights. That's five more than the 27-year-old Selby. 

Koasicha hasn't been in the ring with elite fighters, but in watching his fights, it's clear he has some skills and decent fundamentals. That said, he's not extraordinarily fast, and he appears to be only an average puncher.

Koasicha is taking a big step. Not only is he clearly taking on the best opponent of his career, but it's also the first time he will have fought outside of Mexico.

Handling the pro-Selby crowd will require an adjustment, as will fighting an opponent who is ready, willing and able to box, as opposed to slugging it out.

Matchroom Boxing writes: "Koasicha will not have seen a boxer with the style and awkwardness of Selby."

Per Gareth Rogers of Wales Online, Koasicha talked about his scouting of Selby. 

"We’ve seen a few videos of Selby. He’s a good boxer with a lot of technique; he knows how to manage distance and punches hard for the featherweight division. But we have the strategy to fight and win."

Koasicha could find himself bewildered by Selby's movement, and unable to touch his opponent for long stretches of the fight. Needless to say, that would make for one really long night in Wales.

Prediction

There's a reason Hearn is already talking about the likes of Donaire and Gonzalez as future opponents for Selby. Koasicha's lack of movement makes him a relatively simple assignment for Selby.

This is boxing and anything can happen, but Selby should be able to easily outpoint Koasicha en route to a clear unanimous-decision win.

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