Fight Night Guide — The Ultimate Weekend Preview, Nov. 11 edition

Fight Night Guide – The Ultimate Weekend Preview, Nov. 11 edition

By Diego Morilla

The Fight Night Guide brings you a brief preview of every upcoming weekend’s most relevant fights compiled by Zona de Boxeo editor and TSS writer Diego Morilla, with all the basic information you need to know to check out the action and to know what to expect from every fighter. Follow us every week at #FNG @TheSweetScience @Morillaboxing

Fresno, California, Saturday, November 11

Jose Ramirez vs. Mike Reed, 10 rounds, junior welterweights

This is definitely as good as it gets when it comes to watching two hungry young guns putting it all on the line in a big fight. California’s Ramirez (pictured) will have the upper hand against the also unbeaten Reed (23-0, 12 KOs) in a fight for a regional WBC belt, and the outspoken farmer’s rights activist will inflatable slide also be motivated by his fight to raise awareness on a number of subjects ranging from immigration to the right to the use of water. Granted, holding the moral high ground will not be enough for Ramirez (20-0, 15 KOs) to be the instant prohibitive favorite for this fight, but with the emotional support of his people at ringside it is hard to see Reed scoring an upset.

Read a full preview of this fight here at TheSweetScience.com.

Artur Beterbiev vs. Enrico Koelling, 12 rounds, vacant IBF light heavyweight title

Beterbiev (11-0, 11 KOs), has been called “The 175-lb GGG”, and he could very well continue feeding that notion against Germany’s Koelling (23-1, 6 KOs) in a relatively low risk fight that could yield huge results for the Russian-Canadian KO artist if he manages to convincingly grab a piece of the light heavyweight crown with this victory. As a former Olympian with more than decent boxing skills, Koelling will not be an easy task if he chooses to box from a distance and manages to outmaneuver the bull-rushing Beterbiev, but the likelihood of an upset is very low given Beterbiev’s unstoppable march as a pro up to this point.

What to look for in this fight: Beterbiev’s chances of being stopped by Koelling are slim to none, and my bet is that we will see him take the fight to Koelling from the get-go to look for another highlight reel stoppage that will surely kickstart his championship run.

Uniondale, N.Y., Saturday, November 11

Daniel Jacobs vs. Luis Arias, 12 rounds, middleweights

“The Miracle Man” is back, and he is on a mission to finally reclaim his place as one of boxing’s most promising practitioners. For years, Jacobs (32-2, 29 KOs) was thought to be the next big thing, only to have his plans derailed after a heartbreaking loss to Dmitry Pirog followed by a devastating cancer diagnosis. But the Brooklyn native clawed his way back into life and into his previous contender status, and his loss against Gennady Golovkin last year only made him stronger in a defeat that many observers thought was completely undeserved. Against a modest but solid opponent like the unbeaten Arias (18-0, 9 KOs), Jacobs will seek to reestablish himself as an attraction in his home state and finally earn consideration for bigger and better paydays and matchups. Success couldn’t possibly happen to a scrappier guy.

What to look for in this fight: Jacobs was once considered pound-for-pound material, and if he finally fulfills his promise (still plenty of time to do it) he could join fellow 160-pounders Canelo and GGG in the mythical list – and insert himself into a potential three-way war that could be historic. A solid win against Arias could be a good first step.

Jarrell Miller vs. Mariusz Wach, 12 rounds, heavyweights

Miller (19-0-1, 17 KOs) is a 6’4”, 300-pound unbeaten heavyweight. That combination of stats alone should be a recipe to generate enough interest in the casual fan. But so far, “Big Baby” is yet to capture the imagination of the American public. That could change soon if he manages to beat Poland’s Wach (33-2,17 KOs), a bad hombre who has only lost to Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin and who will serve as Miller’s measuring stick in an HBO co-main event, with a large audience to judge him. An interesting matchup indeed.

Roberto Ortiz vs. Cletus Seldin, 10 rounds, junior welterweights

Ortiz (35-1-2, 26 KOs) and Seldin (20-0, 16 KOs) could give us a terrific fight if they understand what’s at stake for both of them. The unbeaten Seldin has been somewhat protected up to this point and is not receiving the consideration that his unblemished record suggests – and rightly so. Ortiz, however, has been steadily clawing his way back into fringe contender territory after being annihilated by Lucas Matthysse back in 2014, and a victory here could be his ticket to a new chance – or perhaps another lucrative, high-profile beating. I expect the Mexican banger to put an end to Seldin’s nicely padded record, possibly with a late stoppage win.

Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday, November 11

Josh Taylor vs. Miguel Vazquez, 12 rounds, junior welterweights

Yes, we are talking about the same Vazquez (39-5, 14 KOs) that used to bore us to death in countless Top Rank undercards with his great boxing skills and absolutely dispassionate style. And now, the “bowl of white rice that no one ordered” is taking his act abroad to face Taylor (10-0, 9 KOs), a local credit trying to make it to the next stage and putting his record on the line in front of his people by taking on a former world champ with limited pop and accessible skills. Not a bad recipe for a lovely night of boxing in the Highlands.

Newcastle, England, Saturday, November 11

Liam Smith vs. Liam Williams, 12 rounds, junior middleweights

The rematch of last year’s “Battle of the Liams”, this time for a chance to become the mandatory contender for the WBO 154 lb belt, could easily become the second installment of a trilogy if these two continue to build upon the mutual dislike that turned their first encounter into an instant classic. In their first bout in Manchester back in April, Williams (16-1-1, 11 KOs) was rescued from his corner at the beginning of the 10^th episode even though he was ahead on the scorecards, when blood was pouring from a deep cut in his face, and the mutual accusations of foul play after that fight have resulted in this rematch becoming a matter of national pride for both combatants, with Wales’ Williams promising to teach Liverpool’s Smith (25-1-1, 14 KOs) a lesson this time around.

What to look for in this fight: If the bout remains clean and they both deliver on their promise to drag their respective opponent through the mud, we could end up having the mandatory YouTube assignment of the week right here. Can’t wait.

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