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Pick It: Danny Garcia vs. Jose Benavidez (Saturday, Showtime, 9:00 PM EST)
It’s been awhile since 34-year old former lineal Jr. welterweight champion and welterweight beltholder Danny Garcia (36-3, 21 KO) last stepped in a ring. He’s hoping for a better result in his Jr. middleweight debut.
Returning from a loss at welterweight to Errol Spence, Garcia will face 30-year old Jose Benavidez (27-1-1, 18 KO) in a clash of fighters looking for a statement. It’s part of a tripleheader that will also include heavyweight Adan Kownacki. The fight of the night may come at Jr. welterweight as 26-year old 2016 Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell (15-0, 15 KO) faces 37-year old former two-division titlist Rances Barthelemy (29-1-1, 15 KO).
Additional Shows to Watch For
Friday – Carmona vs. Santiago (Estrella, 9:00 PM EST)
Once a title challenger at Jr. bantamweight, 31-year old David Carmona (22-9-5, 9 KO) has hit tough times with six losses in his last eight starts. Can Carmona scrape together a win on Friday night? 26-year old Alexandro Santiago (25-3-5, 13 KO) will have other plans in this Jr. featherweight clash.
Saturday – Billam-Smith vs. Chamberlain (FiteTV, 2:00 PM EST)
Cruiserweight action highlights this afternoon affair with a pair of 1-loss pros looking to move up the ranks. 28-year old Issac Chamberlain (14-1, 8 KO) has won five in a row since losing a decision to future titlist Lawrence Okolie. 31-year old Chris Billam-Smith (15-1, 11 KO) has a similar win streak at six straight since a loss to undefeated Richard Riakporhe. Based on what it’s taken to beat these two so far, fans should have a good scrap here.
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com