Boxing TV schedule for Sept. 23-26
The Charlos co-headline a PPV, Josh Taylor returns, and the Briedis-Dorticos fight finally goes down in a busy week of boxing.
Wednesday, Sept. 23
FS1, 10:00 pm ET, Nestor Bravo vs Jose Luis Gallegos. This low-key PBC card from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles is headlined by Bravo, an unbeaten, 26-year-old lightweight prospect, against Gallegos, an eight-times beaten, 26-year-old American who has been used as a trial horse against guys like Erick De Leon, Jhack Tepora, and Michel Rivera in recent years. We’ll also see 25-year-old Dominican featherweight Ranfis Encarnacion against 28-year-old Californian Victor Pasillas, a meeting of unbeaten hopefuls, and 31-year-old Cuban super middleweight Maidel Sando against Genc Pllana, a once-beaten 26-year-old nicknamed “The Sexy Albanian.” Listen, if I haven’t convinced you to give this show a whirl on a Wednesday night, let me throw in that cards like this with no expectations have a habit of being surprisingly fun. Come hang out, see some fighters you maybe haven’t seen before! BLH will have live coverage.
Thursday, Sept. 24
UFC Fight Pass, 7:00 pm ET, Michael Williams Jr vs Thomas Miller. Another RJJ Boxing show, this one from Biloxi, Mississippi, headlined by 21-year-old 140/147 prospect Michael Williams Jr, 12-0 thus far in his pro career out of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The show will also feature prospects Mark Reyes Jr, a 24-year-old welterweight from Tampa, and Shawn Simpson, a 26-year-old junior featherweight from Chicago. It’s nothing special, but another chance to see some fighters fight and look to make a mark. BLH will have live coverage.
Saturday, Sept. 26
DAZN, 12:00 pm ET, Mairis Briedis vs Yuniel Dorticos. Goes to figure that DAZN finally having another fight on goes head-to-head with a world title bout on ESPN+, huh? But Briedis-Dorticos is finally happening (knock on wood), to end the WBSS season two cruiserweight tournament that began in late 2018. This might also wind up being the swan song for the WBSS in general, as the organizers had some financial troubles in that second season, but if this is the end, I’d like to remember this as a bold venture that gave us a lot of good fights and matchups over its five tournaments between 2017 and 2020. This is No. 1 vs No. 2 at cruiserweight right now, with Dorticos’ IBF title and the Ring Magazine championship on the line, and on paper matches up as a potential barnburner of a fight. BLH will have live coverage.
ESPN+, 2:00 pm ET, Josh Taylor vs Apinun Khongsong. WBA and IBF unified 140-pound titleholder Taylor will make his mandatory defense against Thailand’s Khongsong, a Sampson Lewkowicz fighter about whom we know basically nothing, though he does have a decent win over Akihiro Kondofrom 2019. This fight was meant to happen in May, but, y’know, COVID. So it happens now. If Taylor wins, there may be some movement toward an undisputed title fight against Jose Ramirez next, though Ramirez does have a WBO order to face Jack Catterall. As Catterall and Taylor are both promoted by Frank Warren, a deal could potentially be worked out there. But obviously Taylor has to win first, and Sampson fighters can’t simply be dismissed. Taylor will also be working with new trainer Ben Davison after parting ways with Shane McGuigan, via parting ways with Shane’s father Barry. Former flyweight titlist Charlie Edwards will be in bantamweight action, and we’ll also see light heavyweight prospect Willy Hutchinson and junior featherweight Davey Oliver Joyce, among others.. BLH will have live coverage.
- Note: The plan will be to HOPEFULLY get proper live coverage for both Briedis-Dorticos and Taylor-Khongsong main events, but priority will be on Briedis-Dorticos if they wind up going properly head-to-head, as we have limited staff availability on Saturday afternoon. The lineups as listed on BoxRec, plus the staggered start times, suggest we may get lucky, but card pacing and whatnot will also come into play. Fingers crossed! Either way there will be separate posts for the shows, and updates during each.
SHO PPV, 7:00 pm ET, Jermell Charlo vs Jeison Rosario, Jermall Charlo vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko. This will be a six-fight, $75 Showtime pay-per-view, which will include a 30-minute intermission between two sets of three bouts. The first half will be headlined by Jermall-Derevyanchenko, and accompanied by Brandon Figueroa vs Damien Vazquez and John Riel Casimero vs Duke Micah, the latter a world title fight at 118 and the former a sorta-world title fight at 122. The second half is headlined by Jermell-Rosario, and accompanied by Luis Nery vs Aaron Alameda for the vacant WBC belt at 122, and an eliminator between Daniel Roman and Juan Carlos Payano to determine a challenger for that title. We’ll have more on the card in the coming days, including undercard and main event previews. I’d tell you how to order the PPV but nobody paid us to do that so you can figure it out yourself. (Showtime app, cable and satellite, various other options.) BLH will have live coverage.