Pick It: TBRB #3 Daniel Jacobs vs. John Ryder (Saturday, DAZN, 2:00 PM EST)
It’s a lighter weekend for the sweet science but the sport won’t be absent. The fight of the weekend is this subtle crossroads fight between a pair of veteran super middleweights who need to win now.
35-year old former middleweight titlist Daniel Jacobs (37-3, 30 KO) has won twice since a loss to Saul Alvarez. He’s lucky to have won the last time out. Jacobs looked disinterested in spots against Gabriel Rosado and one can wonder if he really still wants it.
33-year old John Ryder (30-5, 17 KO) hasn’t looked like he’s lost interest. He was unlucky in losing in a shot at titlist Callum Smith two fights ago and a win could line him up for the chance at another shot. On the undercard, rising 28-year old middleweight Felix Cash (14-0) faces undefeated Magomed Madiev (15-0-2, 4 KO) in an interesting battle to see who will be a genuine contender.
Additional Show to Watch For
Friday – Dignum vs. Dennis (ESPN+, 2:00 PM EST)
Middleweight action gets the afternoon spotlight. 29-year old Danny Dignum (13-0-1, 7 KO) went ten for the first time in his last outing and picked up his first blemish, leaving with a draw against Andrey Sirotkin. 38-year old Grant Dennis (17-3, 3 KO) gives Dignum a chance to get back to winning but has only been stopped once. The real highlight may be promising bantamweight Lee McGregor (11-0, 9 KO). Only 25, McGregor is a comer and will see a solid veteran in 27-year old Diego Ruiz (23-4, 12 KO). Ruiz has been stopped only once by Michael Conlan.
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at [email protected]