Friday, January 23rd
Paramount+, 3:00 pm ET, Zuffa Boxing. From Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s Dana White’s first boxing show with Paramount, and Stumberg recently gave a pretty clear assessment of the lineup and seriousness of this whole enterprise that I can’t really top or elaborate upon. Best I can say about this first card is it’s like ProBox but with a subscription fee and more A-side friendly matchmaking. At least it means you can shift your UFC Fight Pass money over to Paramount, and watch Cheers re-runs? Main event
is Callum Walsh vs Carlos Ocampo. Cain Sandoval also appears in support. Scott and I will have live coverage, but don’t let that deceive you… We did the same thing with the first CountryBox: Where Music Meets Boxing. BLH will have live updates
DAZN, 11:00 pm ET, LA Friday Night Fights. From Long Beach, California. A collabo between Paco Presents and Golden Boy. Main event is promoted as Tito Sanchez vs Eduardo Ramirez, but the Paco Presents Instagram account also posted a hype video saying this is happening on “Junuary 23rd,” so who can be sure about the finer details? BoxRec thinks the B-side is Jesus Ramirez Rubio, for whatever that’s worth. Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan appears in support, hoping to snap a three fight losing streak.
Saturday, January 24th
DAZN, 8:00 pm ET, Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz. From Las Vegas, Nevada, for Muratalla’s IBF lightweight title. Big test for the undefeated champion Muratalla, but he’s proven worthy in every test he’s had so far. Big step up to world title level for Andy Cruz in just his seventh pro fight, but the talent is clearly there. Good matchup! Two ten-rounders in support, with Khalil Coe facing Jesse Hart, and Israil Madrimov taking a lighter touch than his last two fights, defeats to Vergil Ortiz and Terence Crawford. BLH will have live updates
BASH.TV, 8:00 pm ET, G1: California Dreamin’ (or “Dreaming?” Website and posters do not agree!). From Commerce California. More PPV for the People, this time for $29.99 American. This one may start at 9p ET; the main page for BASH and the landing page for the PPV purchase do not agree with each other, either. Too much daydreaming/dreamin’, perhaps. Main event is a six-rounder where 5-0 (2 KO) Lorenzo Powell takes on 3-7 (3 KO) Alejandro Medina de la Rosa. Adam “Blunose” Lopez appears in a six-round support fight.
