Worldwide slate of boxing on ESPN+ this weekend
If you need a boxing fix and are on the streaming service ESPN+, they’ll have four fight cards from four nations spread across two days will stream live this weekend on the leading multi-sport streaming service.
The previously announced card from Melbourne, Australia, featuring twin brothers Jason and Andrew Moloney, will kick off the weekend starting Friday at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT. From England and Scotland to an interim world title bout in Germany, here’s what’s in store for fight fans.
Rocky Fielding Returns on #MTKFightNight Card in Liverpool
Friday, 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Former WBA super middleweight world champion Rocky Fielding (27-2, 15 KOs) will fight for the first time since challenging Canelo Alvarez last December, returning in a 10-rounder against Tanzanian puncher Abdallah Paziwapazi (26-6-1, 23 KOs) at the Olympia. Fielding won the world title last July with a TKO over then-unbeaten Tyron Zeuge, but he fell short against Canelo via third-round stoppage at Madison Square Garden. Paziwapazi is unbeaten in 10 bouts dating back to 2017, having won a pair of regional belts to earn the shot at Fielding.
In other bouts streaming from Liverpool:
• Four-time world title challenger Martin Murray (38-5-1, 17 KOs) will face Sladan Janjanin (27-4, 21 KOs) in an eight-rounder at super middleweight. Murray is best known for his controversial 2013 decision loss to middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez in Martinez’s home country of Argentina.
• Former lightweight world champion Terry Flanagan (35-2, 14 KOs) will face Jayro Duran (14-6, 13 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight tilt.
• Lightweight prospect Ged Carroll (11-0, 0 KOs) will take a step up in class versus Jeff Ofori (9-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
• Super flyweight Blane Hyland will make his long-awaited professional debut against Steven Maguire (0-18-1) in a four-rounder.
Fornling and Bösel to Battle for Interim Light Heavyweight World Title
Saturday, 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT
Top Rank, in association with SES Boxing, will present a world championship afternoon of boxing from Messe Arena in Halle, Germany.
In the main event, Dominic Bösel (29-1, 11 KOs) will face Swedish contender Sven Fornling (15-1, 7 KOs) for the interim WBA light heavyweight world title. Bösel most recently defended his European crown in April with an eighth-round knockout over Timy Shala. Fornling has won five in a row since the lone loss of his career, most recently winning a unanimous decision over former world title challenger Karo Murat.
Said SES Boxing founder Ulf Steinforth: “I’m excited to give our fighters the opportunity to showcase their skills on the biggest sports platform in the world.”
In other bouts streaming from Germany:
• The fighting pride of Morocco, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Mohammed Rabii (9-0, 5 KOs) will make his ESPN debut against Mexican veteran Jesus Gurrola (27-14-3, 14 KOs) in an eight-round super welterweight contest.
• 2012 German Olympian Stefan Haertel (18-1, 2 KOs) will face David Zegarra (34-3, 21 KOs) in a 12-round showdown for the WBO Intercontinental super middleweight title.
• Top heavyweight prospect Peter Kadiru (5-0, 1 KO) will fight Venezuelan upstart Pedro Martinez (11-2, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder.
All-Scottish Bantamweight Battle Headlines #MTKFightNight from Glasgow
Saturday, 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
This is about more than titles.
In one of the biggest all-Scottish clashes in a long time, Commonwealth bantamweight champion Lee McGregor will take on British champion Ukashir Farooq in a 12-round showdown from Emirates Arena in Farooq’s home city of Glasgow. McGregor, meanwhile, hails from Edinburgh, a roughly one-hour train ride away.
The 22-year-old McGregor (7-0, 6 KOs) defended his Commonwealth title in June with an eighth-round TKO over Scott Allan in a bout that streamed live on ESPN+. Farooq (13-0, 6 KOs) last fought in August, making the third successful defense of his British title with a first-round blitzing of Duane Winters.
Said McGregor: “This is the biggest fight in Scotland for a long, long time. You have to go back to Alex Arthur’s reign to find a comparison. It’s massive for me, for Kash and for all the Scottish boxing fans.”
In other bouts streaming from Scotland:
• The unbeaten Kieran Smith (15-0, 7 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBC International silver super welterweight belt against Italian challenger Vincenzo Bevilacqua (16-0, 0 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
• In an eight-round light heavyweight tilt, Tommy Philbin (12-0, 4 KOs) will take on the 18-year-old Nicolas Holcapfel (11-1, 9 KOs).
• Former Irish amateur superstar Pierce O’Leary (1-0, 0 KOs) will fight the battle-tested Chris Adaway (9-61-4, 1 KO) in a four-round super lightweight bout.
• Top Rank-signed Irish welterweight sensation Paddy “Real Deal” Donovan (1-0, 1 KO), who turned pro last month with a first-round stoppage, will fight Danny Mendoza (6-5, 4 KOs) in a scheduled six-rounder.
