Kelsey's Where to Watch: Dubois vs Gorman and Stevenson on ESPN+
Here’s where to watch the biggest and best fights on television and streaming platforms this weekend in the U.S., including the most important info such as time, location, platform, betting odds and notable undercard fights. All odds listed below, where available, come from New Jersey-based bookmaker 888sport.
Friday, July 12, 2019
What: Jermaine Franklin (18-0, 13 KOs) vs Jerry Forrest (25-2, 19 KOs)
Where: Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash.
Channel: Showtime
Time: 10 pm ET
Odds: Franklin -715, Forrest +475
Synopsis: Franklin wants to continue to establish himself as a legitimate contender in a revitalized heavyweight division. The 25-year-old defeated Rydell Booker in his last bout on April 13 on Showtime. Another win on the network might help him get a spot against more dangerous competition, which is what he needs if he hopes to be a serious contender.
Other Bouts: Otto Wallin vs BJ Flores is the co-feature. To me, Wallin looks like a better prospect than Franklin, but he'll need to keep winning if he hopes to become a main event fighter soon. Flores is a rugged veteran who hopes to play the spoiler, but he hasn’t really been a relevant contender in a long time. The opening bout is a 10-round matchup of undefeated super featherweights Giovanni Cabrera Mioletti and Luis Porozo.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
What: Daniel Dubois (11-0, 10 KOs) vs Nathan Gorman (16-0, 11 KOs)
Where: O2 Arena in Greenwich, England
Channel: ESPN+
Time: 2:45 pm ET
Odds: Dubois -167, Gorman +138
Synopsis: Dubois, 21, from England, is one of the hottest heavyweight prospects in the world right now. That he’s facing the undefeated Gorman, 23, from England, for the British heavyweight title already is the kind of boxing miracle that only happens in the UK and only because fans over there take British titles so seriously. Dubois-Gorman is probably the best fight of a stacked weekend.
Other Bouts: Undefeated British heavyweight Joe Joyce is on even a faster track to world status than is Dubios. The reason is that Joyce is already 33 years old, so he has to make his mark in the division while he can. He takes on American contender Bryant Jennings, 34, from Philadelphia, who pretty much had Oscar Rivas beat in his last fight before suffering the late-round stoppage loss.
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What: Jamal James (25-1, 12 KOs) vs Antonio DeMarco (33-7-1, 24 KOs)
Where: The Armory in Minneapolis, Minn.
Channel: FS1
Time: 8 pm ET
Odds: N/A
Synopsis: James, 30, has only lost once and it was to Yordenis Ugas, so he has good reason to hope he can challenge for a world title someday soon. A win over DeMarco wouldn’t mean what it would have a few years ago, but it would certainly be a decent name to add to James’ ledger. Demarco, from Mexico, is 33.
Other Bouts: Former heavyweight contenders Robert Helenius and Gerald Washington will clash in what can only really be described as a “Where Are They Now?” fight. Helenius, 35, and Washington, 37, still have hopes of getting one more big fight in a hot heavyweight division. Additionally, unbeaten 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas takes on Joshuah Hernandez in an eight-round lightweight bout.
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What: Rey Vargas (33-0, 22 KOs) vs Tomoki Kameda (36-2, 20 KOs)
Where: Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.
Channel: DAZN
Time: 9 pm ET
Odds: N/A
Synopsis: Vargas defends his WBC junior featherweight title against Kameda. Vargas is tall, lanky and undefeated. Kameda is a former title-holder hoping to wear a belt again. The Japanese fighter lost twice to Jaime McDonnell in 2015 but has won five straight to earn another title shot.
Other Bouts: The card also features Diego De La Hoya, Joet Gonzalez and Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez in separate bouts. Undefeated De La Hoya, 24, from Mexico, is set to face Ronny Rios in a junior featherweight bout.
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What: Shakur Stevenson (11-0, 6 KOs) vs Alberto Guevara (27-4, 12 KOs)
Where: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Channel: ESPN
Time: 10:30 pm ET (Undercard on ESPN+ starting at 5 pm ET)
Odds: Stevenson -3335, Guevara +1100
Synopsis: Stevenson, 22, is one of boxing’s brightest prospects. The southpaw featherweight won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics and seems on his way to becoming a really big deal. Heck, 2 just hailed him as the next Floyd Mayweather Jr. (which is a bit silly at this point if you ask me, but Stevenson is very good regardless). Guevara is basically just the guy they could find to take the fight, so it’s a showcase fight for Stevenson on ESPN.
Other Bouts: The televised co-feature on ESPN features once-beaten bantamweight prospect Joshua Greer Jr. against Nikolai Potapov. As it goes with other ESPN boxing telecasts, Top Rank’s undercard will start a few hours earlier on ESPN+
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