Prime Rank’s top-3 billed bouts are mainly 50-50 matchups on the mid-level, one thing boxing followers hope to see extra of on ESPN/ESPN+ in 2023. Ever because the PBC took boxing again on community tv and Prime Rank landed a cope with ESPN, mid-level fights proceed to get much-needed publicity. Saturday’s card has three attention-grabbing bouts in Efe Ajagba vs. Stephan Shaw, Guido Vianello vs. Jonnie Rice, and Adam Lopez vs. Abraham Nova. As a reminder, you don’t must cable to look at Prime Rank/ESPN boxing; it streams dwell on the ESPN+ app as effectively.
One outing faraway from his first loss as an expert, Efe Ajagba faces one other stiff check in Stephan Shaw in the primary occasion on ESPN/ESPN+. Efe was out-boxed cleanly by Frank Sanchez; the Cuban’s protection proved too tough of a process to beat. Efe is pretty primary in his method offensively, however his punch charge and energy stand out at heavyweight. Will a primary but pretty efficient 1-2 assault with uppercuts & hooks as instances be sufficient to get the “W”?
The 18-0 Stephan Shaw is taking a step up in competitors going through Efe Ajagba, and though he doesn’t have the identical defensive capabilities as Frank Sanchez, it is smart for him to be a slight favourite. Shaw makes use of his jab in quite a lot of methods. Measuring along with his it and scoring to the pinnacle with good hand pace or throwing it to the physique. One thing that must be a useful gizmo is Shaw’s jab as he turns right into a hook to the pinnacle. He likes to combat at vary or on the surface, being mild on his toes to an extent with respectable pop on his punches.
Efe has gone the 10-round distance 3 times, whereas Shaw has been 8-rounds on three separate events. Search for this one to be nip and tuck just about the entire method. Shaw will begin quick, so it will likely be as much as Ajagba to land the extra telling photographs to sluggish him down and take over the combat.
My Official Prediction is Stephan Shaw by Majority Determination.
Main the best way because the headliner of kinds for the ESPN+ portion of the cardboard earlier than it switches to ESPN after a Huge-12 faculty basketball sport is a can’t-miss bout between Adam Lopez and Abraham Nova. Don’t let Lopez’s 16-3 file idiot you; he’s a legit man. His first loss got here to freaking Stephen Fulton in Adam’s ninth professional combat. Earlier than shedding by TKO and a detailed MD, Lopez was giving Oscar Valdez some good work knocking him down early, and his combat with Isaac Dogboe might’ve gone his method. In keeping with Adam Lopez, if he wins on Saturday, Prime Rank will provide him a brand new deal, so that is nearly like a mini-version of a contract yr in professional crew sports activities. (Credit score to Lukieboxing at Inside The Ropes for that data throughout a current interview.)
Abraham Nova’s again is in opposition to the wall to an extent as effectively, having simply been stopped final summer season by the ever-improving Robeisy Ramirez. Nova’s range-finding jab and the choice to deliver the stress or combat at a distance, together with counter hooks and lead/counter straight proper fingers, make for what must be a very-competitive scrap. Sure, Nova was stopped in his final combat, however he was giving Robeisy a lot to consider. Nova tends to get caught with the cleaner punch throughout exchanges. He throws good combos at instances, shoe-shining downstairs fairly than significant physique lands.
Many betting websites have each fighters with a minus quantity, and some have Nova as a slim underdog sitting as excessive as +115/+120. The expertise stage and extra sustained success, even in losses, favor’s Lopez. It gained’t be a stroll within the park and must be two-way motion till the ultimate bell.
My Official Prediction is Adam Lopez by Cut up-Determination.
The final bout to preview and predict is the co-feature pairing unbeaten prospect in Guido Vianello versus fringe contender Jonnie Rice. Identical to Lopez, don’t you dare sleep on Rice due to his deceptive file of 15-6-1. Rice has fought a number of robust matchups some on quick discover, along with his largest wins coming back-to-back over Michael Coffie. Rice scored a Fifth-round TKO the primary time round, then got here weighed in at 283 kilos, a lot increased within the rematch in comparison with 268 ½. He gained by determination, however it was straightforward to inform he couldn’t match his first efficiency.
This boxing podcaster believes Jonnie Rice ought to win this combat, in fact, it should come right down to what sort of form he’s in. Rice tipped the scales at 274 in Friday’s weigh in however it must be famous he took this chance round three weeks in the past. Guido Vianello remains to be very uncooked; how a lot has he improved since his draw to Kingsley Ibeh over two years in the past? Ibeh did handle to go six rounds with highly-touted heavyweight prospect Jared Anderson. This one here’s a coin-toss flip to resolve a winner based mostly on not understanding how ready Rice can be and a few unknowns from Guido.
My Official Prediction is a Draw (Compelled to decide on Rice Determination)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Haven Brady Jr (L) and Ruben Cervera (R) pose in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 tremendous featherweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Haven Brady Jr (L) and Ruben Cervera (R) face-off in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 tremendous featherweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Guido Vianello (L) and Jonnie Rice (R) pose in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 heavyweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Guido Vianello (L) and Jonnie Rice (R) face-off in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 heavyweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Floyd Diaz (L) and Edwin Rodriguez (R) pose in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 tremendous bantamweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Floyd Diaz (L) and Edwin Rodriguez (R) face-off in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 tremendous bantamweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Efe Ajagba flexes on the dimensions in the course of the weigh in forward of his January 14 heavyweight combat with Stephan Shaw, at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Efe Ajagba (L) and Stephan Shaw (R) pose in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 heavyweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Efe Ajagba (L) and Stephan Shaw (R) face-off in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 heavyweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Dante Benjamin (L) and Emmanueal Austin (R) pose in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 mild heavyweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Dante Benjamin (L) and Emmanueal Austin (R) face-off in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 mild heavyweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Bryce Mills (L) and Margarito Hernandez (R) pose in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 tremendous light-weight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Bryce Mills (L) and Margarito Hernandez (R) face-off in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 tremendous light-weight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Bruce Carrington (L) and Juan Antonio Lopez (R) pose in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 featherweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Bruce Carrington (L) and Juan Antonio Lopez (R) face-off in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 featherweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Brian Norman Jr (L) and Rodrigo Damian Coria (R) pose in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 welterweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Brian Norman Jr (L) and Rodrigo Damian Coria (R) face-off in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 welterweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
VERONA, NEW YORK – JANUARY 13: Abraham Nova (L) and Adam Lopez (R) pose in the course of the weigh in previous to their January 14 tremendous featherweight combat at Turning Stone on January 13, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photographs)
Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Out there at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio Comply with on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio
Boxing Information » Ajagba vs. Shaw: Prime Rank on ESPN Card Options Good Mixture of 50-50’s