It's a full day and night of boxing this Saturday with cards of major significance taking place across the globe. We have a heavyweight title rematch in the UK, one of the best boxers in the world pound-for-pound taking part in another unification bout in Texas and the return of a legend in Las Vegas.
It's Summer Boxingpalooza 2025 (and will cost you only about $140 in total to see all of it)
Here are some thoughts on those events..
- From Wembley Stadium in England the second go-around between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois is being staged. Back two years ago when they fought, it was Usyk wearing down the heavy-handed Dubois in nine rounds. But Dubois and his backers will argue that they actually should've won via KO in the fifth after they landed what they believed was a clean body shot in round five that had Usyk writhing in pain on the canvas. But the shot was ruled a low blow. You can judge for yourself here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw--oR0TvB4&t=1s
Some will say that it was a clean shot, others will say it was by the letter of the law a foul. This is one of those rules that is really at the discretion of the third man in the ring. I get the feeling for this fight that both camps will insist that the referee will clearly state beforehand what constitutes a low blow. Is it on the belt line, or would a punch in that area be legal if the trunks are a bit high? If you re-watch Usyk-Dubois I it was clear that the burly challenger was making it a point to aim to the gut of Usyk with his right hand.
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Since that fight, the games ultimate road warrior has defeated Tyson Fury twice over 24 tough rounds. It will be interesting to see how he comes out of those fights at age 38. Meanwhile, Dubois went on to score stoppage victories over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua since that defeat. He is currently rated second in the division by Ring Magazine. Keep this in mind, Dubois is still just 27.
If there is any real physical slippage from Usyk, Dubois has a legitimate punchers chance. But Usyk's one of those guys that till you see it, you don't believe it.
- Then at 'the Star' in Frisco, Texas, it's the 2025 debut of Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, who faces Phemulela Cafu in which the WBC and WBO 115-pound titles are on the line. Just 25 years old, Rodriguez already has an impressive resume' and he is universally considered one of the best boxers in the world pound-for-pound. It's a shame that his bout is sandwiched around these other two events but that's life as a junior bantamweight in America. This card will be shown as part of your regular DAZN subscription.
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While Rodriguez is the prohibitive favorite in this match-up, keep this in mind, while Cafu is a relative unknown (to say the least) to casual fans, unlike some of the other past champions that 'Bam' has faced, he is right in the thick of his physical prime at age 26. Cafu in his last bout went to Japan and pulled the upset by winning a close split decision against the respected Kosei Tanaka over 12 fast-paced rounds.
Cafu is currently rated number three by Ring, and you get the sense based on the Tanaka fight that he wont hesitate to let his hands go freely and he'll give as good as he gets for as long as it lasts this weekend. There's a lot at stake for Rodriguez as it was recently announced that should he come out victorious he will be facing WBA belt-holder, Fernando 'Puma' Martinez in November.
- Then we have the return of Manny Pacquiao, who faces WBC welterweight titlist, Mario Barrios from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as the headliner on the latest Amazon pay-per-view offering with PBC.
German Villasenor
Yeah, the Filipino icon who last fought four years, where he lost decisively to Yordenis Ugas, is making a comeback. Perhaps we really shouldn't be all that surprised by this. After all, this 𝘪𝘴 boxing. I'll say it again, this game doesn't give out gold watches on the way out -- they give out beatings. Perhaps Ugas didn't hammer home the point enough back in 2021. But with the prospects of him becoming the president of his homeland looking dim at the present moment, and perhaps also his bank account dwindling, he had no other choice.
As for Barrios, he finds himself making a career-high payday. This is boxing's version of scratching off the winning Super Lotto Ticket. The reality is that he was chosen for this assignment for two reasons: first, he is aligned with the PBC, so this fight was relatively easy to consummate. And secondly, he is considered much more beatable than Jaron Ennis and Brian Norman. Having the WBC strap certainly aided his cause. (Yeah, belts absolutely matter).
But the reality is that the business and politics of boxing are aligned against him. There is already talk surrounding a rematch between him and Floyd Mayweather. Hey, don't kill the messenger, here, OK? But I can hear it now, "Hey folks, you thought their first meeting was too late in happening, wait till you see 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴!!!"
What's interesting to note is that Barrios began this fight right around a 7-to-1 favorite, as we approach this weekend that number is down to around 2-to-1. It wouldn't surprise me to see it become a pick'em fight by fight night. I'll say this for the Filipinos, like Tammy Wynette they stand by their (Pac) man."
