Super Featherweight

Stephen Smith will have home advantage when he faces Devis Boschiero in an IBF super featherweight final eliminator in Liverpool, England, on Saturday.

Local lad Smith (22-1, 12 KOs) has been the British and Commonwealth champion at 130 pounds, but he now has his sights trained on a world title.

Boschiero (37-3-1, 19 KOs) has challenged for the WBC strap at the weight limit before, losing on points after a tight contest against Takahiro Ao back in 2011.

Also on the card at the Olympia, light heavyweight prospect Hosea Burton meets Nigel Edwards in a Commonwealth title eliminator, while Bradley Saunders returns from a hand injury against Renald Garrido.

When: Saturday, Sept. 19, at 10 p.m. BST (5 p.m. ET)

Where: Olympia, Liverpool, England

TV: Sky Sports (UK)

Live stream: SkyGo (subscription required)

Swifty's Shot 

Smith is one of four boxing brothers from the city of Liverpool, along with super middleweights Paul and Callum, plus super welterweight Liam.

The bout with Boschiero offers Stephen—the second eldest of the quartet of Smiths—the chance to step out of the shadows of the other members of his family.

But, while he has only had 23 fights as a pro to date, Smith is now 30.

Opportunities to secure a world-title shot may not come around too often for the man nicknamed Swifty, so Saturday's showdown will be crucial to his career prospects.

He expects a tough test against Boschiero, too, according to Matchroom Boxing: 

I cannot look past him. I can’t see it as I have a shot at the title—I have to go and beat him for it and that is what I fully intend to do. I think he is a good fighter, an aggressive fighter and he comes looking for the big shots but on the night it will hopefully play into my hands. Stylistically it makes for a good fight but it is one where I believe I will be better than him in every department.

Smith has only fought two six-round contests this year, both at higher weights than he is used to.

His last outing at super featherweight saw him beat Mauricio Javier Munoz to claim the vacant WBC silver super featherweight belt last May.

The solitary loss on his record, meanwhile, came back in 2011, when he was campaigning down at featherweight. With the British and Commonwealth titles on the line, he was stopped by Wales' Lee Selby, who has since become a world champion.

Smith will hope he can do the same, meaning he cannot afford to slip-up against the experienced Boschiero. 

Euro Star 

While Smith is looking to earn a first shot at world glory, Boschiero has been there before.

The man from Veneto, Italy, challenged Ao in November 2011, losing a contentious split decision against the Japanese to miss out on taking the WBC belt back home with him.

Smith believes his next opponent actually won that fight, telling Sky Sports, "Boschiero was unlucky not to win the world title. I thought he deserved it, having watched it."

Boschiero claimed the European title the following year by beating Belgian Ermano Fegatilli, defending it successfully three times before being beaten by Frenchman Romain Jacob last February.

A rematch saw Jacob come out on top again in October, and since then, Boschiero has padded his record with three comfortable victories in low-key bouts.

The 34-year-old is nicknamed Boom Boom, but his record suggests he is more durable than dangerous—all three of his career defeats have come on the scorecards.

Paul Smith, Stephen's older brother, insists the home favourite will not be underestimating the challenge at hand, telling Sky Sports, "I've seen one or two clips of the Italian and he looks decent enough but I know Stephen and especially [trainer] Joe Gallagher will have gone through it meticulously."

Prediction

Smith is right not to take Boschiero lightly—at the very least, the Italian will make his rival work for the win.

However, Smith has an excellent motor himself and will be prepared to go the full 12 rounds. There is no disgrace in losing to Selby, and Boschiero is not remotely close to the same level as the Welshman.

A relatively comfortable points triumph for the Liverpudlian seems the most likely outcome, but don't rule out the possibility of him recording a stoppage in the closing rounds. 

A shot at the WBO interim super featherweight title will bring Thai veteran Terdsak Kokietgym (53-4-1, 33 KO) to Mexico to take on hard-boiled Mexican contender Orlando Salido (41-12-2, 28 KO).

Salido is coming off a huge win over highly touted amateur-turned-pro Vasyl Lomachenko in his last fight. Though he has a healthy amount of losses on his record, you won't find many fighters in the lower weight regions as tough as Salido.

The fight will take place at Auditorio Municipal Fausto Gutierrez Moreno in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, so there's no question which fighter will be the fans' favorite. 

Salido is the classic Mexican boxer. He's tough as nails, and he likes to come forward and slug and do his damage on the inside.

It's difficult to imagine Kokietgym coming away with a decision victory; then again, both of these men like to throw punches. The judges' cards may not come into play. Either way, it should be an exciting scrap. Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday at 11 p.m. ET

TV: Azteca/BeIn Espanol

The Old Warrior

In his 18-year, 56-fight career (including one no-contest), Salido has faced a who's who of opponents in his weight region. He's fought and defeated Lomachenko, Juan Manuel Lopez (twice), Lamont Peterson and Orlando Cruz. Salido has also faced Mikey Garcia, Robert Guerrero, Yuriorkis Gamboa and Cristobal Cruz (whom he split two fights with).

Salido would love another shot at Garcia, and winning this bout over Kokietgym could be a step in that direction. Garcia is the regular titleholder, but he's on the shelf with an injury.

That's why Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook calls the interim belt at stake "a title that actually makes sense existing since Mikey Garcia, the full titleholder, is out of action right now." 

It's safe to say he's seen it all in the ring. At the age of 33, he should still have some tread on his tires. However, having fought in so many wars, you wonder when he's going to become shopworn.

Salido doesn't talk like a fighter ready to fall off. He told Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene:

I always work hard, and can compete with everyone in my weight class. They say it’s easy to get to the top, but to maintain yourself and stay there is the hard part. For me, to still be at this level after all of this time, it’s a reflection of my hard work. I spent a long time grinding to make featherweight; now I’m going to push even harder to prove I’m the best (130 lb.) fighter in the world.

He didn't look to be close to the end against Lomachenko, though most would admit that if the bout had been an old-school 15-rounder, the sharp Ukrainian may have come away with the win.

As it is, Salido won and he has momentum heading into this bout.

The bout with Kokietgym is strange for Salido because the Thai fighter is the first opponent in a while who has more in-ring experience. Can Salido beguile another crafty veteran?

Behind Enemy Lines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpIgRJ3khVw

After spending almost his entire career fighting in his native Thailand, Kokietgym will travel to Mexico seeking a world title. He's failed in four previous attempts to capture a world championship.

The title on the line is just an interim belt, but it's more than Kokietgym has held previously. In prior attempts, Kokietgym has fallen to Juan Manuel Marquez, Steve Luevano and Takahiro Ao.

This would seemingly be Kokietgym's most winnable title opportunity, until you consider the location. Judges may attempt to be totally objective, but beating Salido by decision in Mexico is going to be close to impossible.

Can Kokietgym take the decision out of the judges' hands? That's going to probably be his only hope.

Prediction

This should be an excellent, all-action fight. Both men like to bang away on the inside, and between them, they have 61 knockouts.

The bout should be fought in a phone booth where both men will have their moments. If an opponent stands in front of Salido, the grizzled veteran has the defense, chin and punching accuracy to make it tough on him.

That's exactly what Kokietgym will do.

The Thai fighter is at a slight disadvantage when it comes to height. That's an odd edge for Salido, who is normally the smaller fighter in the ring. The size advantage should allow Salido to have his way on the inside.

Salido should get the better of exchanges and do solid work to the body, but he won't stop Kokietgym. The latter has only failed to go the distance in a loss once, and that happened eight years ago against Marquez. 

Even with the aid of the adrenaline supplied by the crowd, Salido won't score the TKO or KO, but he will gain the win in a bruising and crowd-pleasing brawl.

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

 

Nonito Donaire is the new WBA super world featherweight champion. The end was anticlimactic, but he scored a fourth-round technical decision over Simpiwe Vetyeka in Macao, China on Saturday.

An accidental headbutt caused a bad cut on Donaire's head. He dominated the fight before and after the knocking of noggins and even floored Vetyeka in the fourth round.

Donaire would get the worst of two more headbutts through the second round.

Two seconds into the fifth round, referee Luis Pabon ruled that Donaire could no longer continue due to the severity of the gash.

It went to the scorecards, and Donaire prevailed 49-46 on all three judges' accounts.

Ryan Songalia of Rappler.com had the official scorecards:

Steve Kim of Max Boxing saw the ending like most did:

Bleacher Report's Kevin McRae was not impressed:

Though he's now a world champion again, this was clearly not what Donaire had in mind for a re-coronation.

Per Sports 5, he had this to say:

Vetyeka and Donaire talked more about the effects of the cut and the bout in the interview below:

Donaire handled himself as well as could be expected after the headbutt in the first round.

He cranked up the sense of urgency, hurt Vetyeka in the third round, dropped him in the fourth and dazed him again later in the round.

It looked as if it would be all downhill for Vetyeka moving forward.

That said, there's always the possibility that the momentum could shift. To Donaire's credit, he didn't attempt to parlay this win off as one of the highlights of his career.

He wants to give Vetyeka a rematch, even though opportunities for bigger and more lucrative fights are on the horizon.

This fight was supposed to set up a unification bout with Nicholas Walters, who defeated Vic Darchinyan earlier on the card.

It's unclear whether a rematch with Vetyeka would come before that bout.

Love or hate it, Donaire is the new champion and is right back in the mix of elite fighters in the world.

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@BMaziqueFPBR

In the last six years, no one not named Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao or Timothy Bradley has defeated Juan Manuel Marquez, and Mike Alvarado's name won't join that exclusive list.

Marquez has been busy, too. Despite the 40-year-old's age, he managed to fight 15 times over that span, walking away with a record of 11-4.

Of course, that won't impress the 33-year-old Alvarado. He only has two losses in his career, compared to 34 wins, with 23 by knockout.

But then again, he has never faced Mayweather, Pacquiao or Bradley. And both losses came in his last three fights.

Here are both fighters' money lines for the Saturday's showdown, according to Odds Shark.

Alvarado: +200 (2/1)

Marquez: -278 (50/139)

It's no surprise Marquez is favored. ESPN still ranks him the fifth-best pound-for-pound fighter. Alvarado, who has only ranked fifth in the junior welterweight division, isn't even on the radar.

Despite this, the underdog expects to force Marquez into retirement.

"Retiring a legend is going to be huge," said Alvarado, according to Boxing Scene. "I respect Marquez and his great career but now is my time."

Alvarado sounds like he's been hit in the head too many times. Marquez just knocked out Pacquiao less than two years ago. Alvarado hasn't even fought anyone on their level, let alone beat them.

His best shot against Marquez doesn't rest on his boxing ability, but whether or not Marquez fails to take him seriously enough. With everything on the line, though, that's unlikely to happen. Dan Rafael of ESPN reported that the winner will likely face Pacquiao in the fall.

What better way to go out than to come back from down 0-1-2 to tie a rival 2-1-2? That's what Marquez would have a chance to do against Pac-Man if he defeats Alvarado first. And the Mexican legend just doesn't lose to underdogs like him.

David Daniels is a columnist at Bleacher Report and editor at Wade-O Radio.

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Perhaps we’ve become a bit spoiled, but Mikey Garcia’s latest performance failed to live up to the massive hype that has surrounded him since a banner 2013 placed him firmly in the pound-for-pound conversation.

Garcia (33-0, 28 KO) pounded out a tactical, and at times lackluster, unanimous decision over veteran challenger Juan Carlos Burgos on Saturday night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Scores were 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109.

Bleacher Report scored the contest 118-110 for Garcia.

In the first two rounds, Burgos seemed to frustrate Garcia by staying on the outside, boxing at distance and refusing to give him many openings to counter. The Mexican challenger even rocked Garcia with a hard left hand in the closing seconds of the second frame.

But it would be his only real moment in the fight.

Garcia returned the favor in the third, hurting Burgos with a hook that had him holding on. That punch seemed to change the entire course of the fight, as Burgos went into pure survival mode from that point on and refused to engage.

Far too often, Garcia seemed content to allow his opponent to remain on his bicycle, and he seemed to lack the killer instinct he showed with such devastating effect in stopping Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez and Roman Martinez last year.

In the co-featured bout of the evening, unbeaten heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings scored his most impressive victory to date, stopping Artur Spzilka in the 10^th round of a competitive fight.

Jennings (18-0, 10 KO) was in control for most of the fight, using hard, accurate combinations to keep his foe on the defensive. He landed the cleaner, thudding blows throughout the fight and scored a knockdown in the sixth round with a body shot, before closing the deal with a devastating left hook in the 10^th round.

Spzilka rose from the knockdown, but was clearly out on his feet, prompting the referee to call a halt to the contest.

Top Rank Boxing promoter Bob Arum has his sights set on a Mikey Garcia (33-0, 28 KO) vs. Manny Pacquiao clash down the road, but Garcia would be wise not to look past his next opponent.

On Saturday night from Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, Garcia will defend his WBO Super Featherweight title against the dangerous Juan Carlos "Miniburgos" Burgos (30-1-2, 20 KO).

The 26-year-old Garcia is one of the best and brightest young champions in the sport. Most recently he stopped Roman Martinez in November 2013 to win the WBO crown. 

Burgos is just 26 himself.

He'll be making his second attempt at winning the WBO title. He drew with Martinez in January 2013 in a fight many people believed he won. The way both men punch, it's unlikely we see a draw as the result in this one.

On the undercard, heavyweights Artur Szpilka and Bryant Jennings will do battle in their HBO debuts.

Here's a preview and the information needed to watch the action.

When: Saturday, Jan. 25, at 9:45 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden Theater in New York

TV: HBO

The Book on Garcia

Per Lem Satterfield of the The Ring magazine, Arum is interested in matching Garcia against Pacquiao. Arum told Steve Kim of MaxBoxing.com:

[2014 could be] very big for [Garcia], very big for him because it’s going to be a breakout year for him. We’re looking for him to go up in weight. We’re looking for him to get him in a position where he would be an opponent for Pacquiao.

It's a fight that makes sense for several reasons. Garcia is fighting at 130 pounds currently. The division is devoid of the big names that will enable Garcia to maximize his earning potential.

Also, Garcia has had issues making weight in the past. While jumping two weight classes to battle Pacquiao at 147 pounds might seem like a bit much, it may not be as big of a deal for Garcia.

Lastly, Pacquiao's contract is set to end with Top Rank in 2015. If Arum believes there is a chance Pacquiao may leave him to chase a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., he could be trying to get as many big paydays out of Pacquiao as possible before he bolts.

Pac-Man is already scheduled to face Timothy Bradley in a rematch of their bout in 2012. How does Garcia feel about all of this? He told Michael Woods of ESPN.com:

As a fan, I would like to see Pacquiao versus Mayweather. That's a fight that everyone has wanted the last five, six, seven years, it never happened, maybe never will. For business, no I don't want them to fight, because I think Mayweather beats Pacquiao, and that makes a Pacquiao-Mikey Garcia fight less interesting.

I want to be able to fight Pacquiao when he's on a winning streak. If Manny fights Timothy Bradley, who knows what could happen? Bradley is on a winning streak, he looked sensational in his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez. If Manny does fight Bradley and loses, we might still get him, but there might not be the same interest.

Sounds like Garcia doesn't think much of Pacquaio right now. Perhaps that means he believes he's an easy mark and stepping stone to the next level of the sport.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl08-35tr7g

With these best-laid plans in front of him, Garcia could be running into a trap in New York if he isn't careful. Burgos is no pushover. Garcia must be on his square if he hopes to keep Arum's master plan intact.

The Book on Burgos

Some might consider Burgos a bit unlucky. His last two fights have ended in draws, and of course, a case could be made that Burgos deserved the decision in both instances. 

The fight against Martinez sticks out even more than the most recent tie against Yakubu Amidu in July 2013. Here's a look at that bout:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgUoh7xtyd4

After two disappointing decisions, Burgos may be looking to make sure he doesn't need the judges to decide this bout.

During a media workout and interview with Thompson Boxing, Burgos was asked about Garcia's big plans. He responded by saying:

"I know they are talking about him, but it is not a reality. He is not there yet. Pacquiao? Gamboa? He is not there yet. He has a long way to go."

Burgos was asked if he'd be interested in facing those same opponents. With a little less confidence, he replied: 

"I would like to face them, but I am a realist and I have a long way to go. I am still maturing as a fighter. I am still a young fighter and I have a lot to learn."

Miniburgos will be hoping to teach a lesson on Saturday, as opposed to learning one. It may sound as if he isn't impressed with Garcia as a fighter, but that isn't the case. Tim Smith of The Ring magazine reports:

Burgos is more than aware of what the undefeated champion Garcia of Oxnard, Calif., brings to the table. He saw him dismantle Orlando Salido for the WBO featherweight title on the same card where he came up with a draw against Martinez. Later he saw Garcia demolish Martinez to win the junior lightweight title. Burgos believes he’s more than ready to handle whatever Garcia throws at him.

He'll need to be.

Prediction

Burgos is a relentless body puncher who throws excellent combinations. It's a mystery as to why he hasn't captured a world title yet.

He'll without question be the best fighter Garcia has faced—yes, even better than Orlando Salido. This fight could wind up much more competitive than people expect.

Garcia impressed in his fight with Martinez, not just because he won by KO, but also because he was dropped and responded. Seeing the way he came back after facing a bit of adversity was the next step in his maturation as a fighter.

Garcia will win the fight on the power of his sharp left hook and overall punching power. Burgos may have a few bright spots in the fight, but he won't derail the Garcia train. Mikey will become the first man to stop Miniburgos.

He wins it by seventh-round TKO.

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After a tense moment in the second round, Mikey Garcia (33-0, 28 KO) systematically dismantled Rocky Martinez (27-2) on Saturday night in Corpus Christi, Texas.

He stopped Martinez with a thunderous body shot in the eighth round. In the process, he walked away with Martinez's WBO Super Featherweight Championship. At 25 years old, Garcia has already won two world titles.

He raised his impressive KO percentage to 84.85, but he did get put on the seat of his pants in the second frame. Martinez is a gamer who came to fight. He caught Garcia with a short, quick left hand that stunned him.

The knockdown proved to be a wakeup call for Garcia.

He showed the poise that has become his calling card and demonstrated he was head and shoulders above Martinez. He hurt Martinez on a few occasions before the knockout, but as usual, he took his time and waited for the right moment to end his opponent's night.

Prior to this fight, Garcia had lost his title on the scale after failing to make 126 pounds before his WBO featherweight title defense against Juan Manuel Lopez. He stopped Juan Ma in the fourth round but surrendered the title nonetheless.

Garcia seemed much more comfortable at 130 pounds, but he may have a hard time finding big-time competition at his new weight class. Many of the big-name fighters in the weight region are at 126 pounds. He will have to hope that fighters like Orlando Salido and Jhonny Gonzalez will be willing to come up in weight to face him.

With all the troubles that Garcia has had making 126 pounds, it may be unrealistic for him to move back down. As for Martinez, his career still has some upside.

He gave a spirited effort. He could challenge for another title—as long as he doesn't have to face Garcia again. Look for him to rebound and return to the title picture before long.

Follow me for news and musings on The Sweet Science.

Takashi Miura retained his WBC super featherweight title belt on Saturday, defeating upstart challenger Sergio Thompson in a unanimous decision at Plaza de Toros in Cancun, Mexico.

When the dust settled after the highly entertaining bout between the 29-year-old boxers, the three judges scored it at 113-112, 114-110 and 114-111—all in favor of Miura (h/t ESPN Deportes' Salvador Rodriguez).

Yeyo hit the canvas twice, which ultimately prevented him from capturing the championship in Miura's maiden defense.

Although Miura had the slight upper hand throughout the evening, the fight did go the full distance and was by no means a breeze, as CBCSports.ca's Chris Iorfida observed:

David Avila of UppercutMagazine.com reported that after the fight, Miura went to a local hospital and was apparently throwing up blood:

Hopefully Miura has a speedy and full recovery after paying a punishing price for the victory.

Through six rounds, it appeared that Miura would cruise to a victory, but Thompson fought valiantly, even decking Miura at one point with a strong right hook to make things interesting ahead of Round 8.

Thompson is a Mexican native, so the crowd was behind him to spur him on, and even the referee wouldn't allow him to quit when he was visibly fatigued near the end:

Battling against a supremely quick southpaw in Miura proved to be slightly too difficult, though, as the Japanese champion Miura was rock-solid and relentless in his own right. Eventually, Thompson's attempts at defense proved futile as he wore down but never quit.

The loss dropped Thompson to 27-3 for his career, but considering he's won 25 of those prior fights by knockout, it was worth sticking around to see if he could land the proper shot to drop Miura for good.

Meanwhile, the more technically sound, gutsy and methodical Miura boosted his record to 26-2-2 in keeping hold of the belt he won in April over Thompson's compatriot, Gamaliel Diaz.