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Angelo Leo and Stephen Fulton will finally meet for a fight that is months in the making when Leo looks to defend his WBO junior featherweight title against the Philadelphia fighter in the main event of Showtime’s tripleheader at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. (9 p.m. ET; 6 p.m. PT).
Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe believes that Leo (20-0, 9 KOs), the fighter he promotes, as well as his upcoming foe in Fulton (18-0, 8 KOs) are the two best 122-pounders on the planet.
“Angelo and Stephen are the top two guys in the division, and they are both in their prime. Along with the welterweights, 122 is probably one of the hottest divisions in boxing right now. You can mix and match for a number of great matchups,” Ellerbe told BoxingScene.com in an interview.
“Angelo Leo gained valuable world championship experience with his big win over Tramaine Williams in his last fight. That’s huge for a young fighter to be at a high level. It only puts you in a better position moving forward. Facing Fulton will be a tremendous fight and matchup.”
Leo and Fulton were supposed to meet last August for the vacant junior featherweight title but Fulton contracted COVID-19 and was forced to pull out of the fight. In stepped Williams, who Leo bested with a unanimous decision.
The two undefeated fighters will now finally meet as originally planned.
Fulton is considered the slight favorite.
“Fulton has repeatedly said this is going to be the easiest payday of his career. Talks don’t win fights, and we’re going to see what’s going to happen on Saturday,” said Ellerbe. “It’s going to be a tough fight, but I fully expect Angelo Leo to have his hand raised by the end of the night. He’s confident he’s going to get the job done, too. Angelo is just getting better and better. He’s also a great story. Just a few years ago, this young man was living out of his car. He’s come so far, and we haven’t seen the best of Angelo Leo yet.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com