Dubai-based D4G Boxing Promotions has revealed a remarkably name-dense card for Friday, November 26th on ESPN+. The main event sees Ohara Davies challenge WBA “gold” super lightweight champion Ismael Barroso in a title eliminator, while Badou Jack makes his cruiserweight debut and Rocky Fielding returns to action earlier in the evening.
“Two Tanks” Davis (22-2, 16 KO) claimed the MTK Golden Contract last year but has never quite gotten past the domestic level, falling to Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall while needing iffy judging to get past Miguel Vazquez and Tyrone McKenna. A win here could put him in line for a shot at either Taylor or “world” champ Gervonta Davis depending on how the WBA plays it out.
The 38-year-old Barroso (23-3-2, 21 KO) is probably still best-known for blowing up Kevin Mitchell in 2015 and getting battered into submission by Anthony Crolla soon after. He went on to lose to Isa Chaniev and Batyr Akhmedov, seemingly cementing him as a one-hit wonder, before catapulting himself right back into contention with an upset of Yves Ulysse Jr. in 2019.
Jack (24-3-3, 14 KO) has long teased a move to 200 pounds in a bid to become a three-weight titlist, and his road begins against longtime veteran Johnny Muller (23-9-2, 14 KO). Muller’s probably a better opponent than recent victims Blake McKernan and Dervin Colina, but the matchup definitely isn’t anything to write home about.
In the other two fights of note, onetime flyweight title challenger Muhammad Waseem (11-1, 8 KO) meets Rober Barrera (23-3, 13 KO) and former “world” super middleweight champion Fielding (28-2, 16 KOs) ends a two-year layoff against TBA