NBC CARD TOPPED BY OMAR FIGUEROA
Future Heavyweight King Anthony Joshua
San Francisco, CA– The stunning upset of Peter Quillin last Saturday by Danny Jacobs was “good” for both the boxing game and promoter Al Heyman’s Premier Boxing Champions. Boxing fans that have watched PBC evolve in 2015 on various Networks, Spike, ESPN, Fox, et al, have witnessed only two notable upsets. Andrzej Fonfara (28-3, 16 KOs) turning out “trick” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and the aforementioned Quillin chillin’ by Mr. Jacobs.
LACK OF SUSPENSE & REAL FIGHTING DESIRED
Although I feel boxing is an entertaining, the “fight” and “suspense” in boxing is what folks want to see. That is hard to bring to play when the “favorites” are winning time and again and in less than Marvin Hagler-Tommy Hearns like form. If unbeaten jr. welterweight (140 lb.) Omar Figueroa wants to separate himself from the “pedestrian” performances of others, the Texan has a willing foe in Antonio DeMarco (31-5-1, 23 KOs) from South of The Border.
SAN ANTONIO IS A REAL FIGHT TOWN
Fighting at home in San Antonio, Figueroa (25-0-1, 18 KOs) a 25-year old with considerable skills with entertaining contests and will need to “smoke” former 135 lb. titleholder DeMarco like a New York blunt if he wants to get “over” big on TV. PBC needs a barnburner to get people to think about boxing over the holidays in expectation of PBC, et al boxing 2016. DeMarco, the 14-5 underdog looks a tad slower than Omar.
ARREOLA “LAST CHANCE” TO MAKE STATEMENT
Heavyweight “fringe” contender Chris Arreola (36-4-1, 31 KOs) of Southern California will meet once beaten Travis Kaufman (30-1, 22 KOs) of Reading, PN under Figueroa-DeMarco. Should the Mexican mauler fail, he will be a journeyman/name opponent from now on! PBC Boxing on NBC LIVE at 8:30 PM ET – 5:30 PM PT.
ANTHONY JOSHUA MEETS AMATEUR RIVAL DILLIAN WHYTE
Sometimes, the fighter thought to be the better, just can’t beat one guy, one style in particular. Shane Mosley couldn’t beat Vernon Forrest in the ’92 Olympic Trials and Vernon almost beheaded him in the first of two professional victories over “Sugar Shane.” Will that apply across the pond as 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Anthony Joshua (14-0, 14 KOs) will take on amateur rival Dillian Whyte (16-0, 13 KOs).
JOSHUA IS THE “HEIR APPARENT” TO THE THRONE
Although I respect Whyte, the development of Joshua is such that the man who plotted the “meltdown” of “Iron Mike” Tyson, Buster Douglas’ guy John Johnson, as well as Wladimir Klitschko, historian “Sin City Richey” and other insiders, we all think Joshua is the “real” thing and has a future as World heavyweight champion.