Who wins Munguia vs Kelly, Berlanga vs Angulo, and more weekend fights?

This weekend’s boxing schedule is packed! Not with something notably nice, nevertheless it’s PACKED!

Friday night time will see Hiroto Kyoguchi defend his 108 lb title in opposition to Esteban Bermudez, then internationally on Saturday we’ll have such blockbusters as Jaime Munguia vs Jimmy Kelly, Edgar Berlanga vs Roamer Alexis Angulo, Trevor Bryan vs Daniel Dubois, and Richard Riakporhe vs Fabio Turchi!

Anyway, we’ve taken time from our lives to make some predictions. Right here they’re.

Jaime Munguia vs Jimmy Kelly

Unhealthy Left Hook may have dwell protection for Munguia vs Kelly on Saturday, June 11, beginning at 8 pm ET.

Scott Christ (34-18)

The fight’s promoter has no idea who the B-side here is. I do! As a result of regardless of not being “the largest combat fan ever” just like the combat’s promoter, I’ve seen Jimmy Kelly combat.

I noticed Liam Smith beat the stuffing out of him in a ridiculous 154 lb title combat in 2015, when Kelly received the appointment as an opponent regardless of being nowhere close to a contender. He undoubtedly improved after that, and gave Dennis Hogan a good combat in 2018, shedding a call. He upset Kanat Islam final outing, a legitimately strong win for him at 160.

This combat is going on at “tremendous middleweight,” which I think simply means a contract weight that ain’t 160 however in all probability gained’t be a full 168. Kelly could be very sport, he involves combat, he’ll strive his greatest. He may wish to not go proper at Munguia, however Munguia in all probability will make him earlier than later. Munguia is enjoyable to observe, however he wants higher opponents. That is getting ridiculous. Munguia TKO-6

Wil Esco (39-13)

For a fighter who’s about to enter his fortieth skilled combat you’ll suppose Jaime Munguia needs to be effectively ready to swim within the deep finish of the expertise pool by now, however alas it’s to not be.

So simply how good is Jaime Munguia? Nicely, he’s fairly good, little question, however I simply don’t see how opponents like Jimmy Kelly are going to convey the perfect out of him. I suppose nonetheless solely being 25 years previous implies that Munguia nonetheless has loads of time forward of him, however I do fear that if he will get too comfy resting on his laurels whereas taking up second-tier opposition it could solely hinder his progress. Or maybe Golden Boy is aware of greater than we do they usually have already got a agency grasp of what Munguia’s ceiling is and are matching him appropriately to maintain from getting him uncovered. I suppose we’ll by no means know with absolute certainty if the larger fights for Munguia by no means materialize. For now, although, Kelly is the kind of fighter Munguia ought to feast on. Munguia TKO-5

John Hansen (40-12)

Again in early September of 2006, when Unhealthy Left Hook was lower than three months previous, I used to be fortunate sufficient to dwell in one of many seven cities the place Idiocracy received a one week theatrical launch. The studio that launched it did no publicity, supplied no advance screenings for critiques, and the ticket I purchased solely recognized the film as “Untitled Mike Choose Venture.”

twentieth Century Fox dumped Idiocracy as briefly and anonymously as attainable, and solely to fulfill a contractual obligation. It didn’t matter, as Idiocracy discovered an infinite cult following as soon as it hit dwelling video. And, like Catch-22 and Sophie’s Alternative, it lives on as part of the English language, arguably over and above the impression it made as a murals.

Three months later, I went to a retailer (as a result of that was a factor that folks nonetheless did again in 2006) to purchase a CD (as a result of that was a manner that folks acquired music again in 2006). On December twenty ninth of that yr, I spent laborious American forex on True Magic from Mos Def. It appeared like a bootleg copy. Clear plastic case, and never a jewel case, however a cloudy plastic one. No paintings. No booklet. No credit. Only a lonely, two-color disc jammed in an affordable, ugly field.

It wasn’t the worst day for getting music of my life (that might be a double-barrel shotgun blast to the guts on June 24, 2003), nevertheless it was in all probability the second worst. The album was unfathomably dangerous. Most of it didn’t even sound prefer it had been correctly blended or mastered. Finally, I came upon that Mos Def had simply slapped it collectively and did the naked minimal to dump it out in an effort to fulfill a contractual obligation to his file firm.

Saturday, Jaime Munguia fights Jimmy Kelly. Jimmy Kelly has losses to Dennis Hogan and Liam “Beefy” Smith. Each of these males have already misplaced to Jaime Munguia. Formally, no less than, within the case of Hogan. Each Munguia and Kelly are middleweights. However neither goes to need to trouble with straining to make 160 kilos, as a result of that is formally a brilliant middleweight combat.

I’ve realized what a minimal effort to fulfill a contractual obligation seems to be like. For those who tune in on Saturday night time, you’ll get an opportunity to expertise it for your self. On this occasion, it’s going to be extra like idiocracy than Idiocracy.

And, if anybody is aware of Mos Def, inform him he owes me cash. Munguia KO-4

Patrick Stumberg (41-11)

Probably the most charitable interpretation of Munguia’s inexplicably mismanaged profession is that it’s being run by committee. The Charlo debacle means that there he’s received too many cooks within the kitchen, that means any plan for development will get boiled down into that which is most universally palatable amongst them: defending his “star energy” by letting him feast on non-threatening opponents. So long as the sanctioning our bodies proceed to rank him extremely irrespective of what number of eliminators he blows off, there’s no motive for them to cease.

That’s not meant to exonerate him, in fact; there’s nothing stopping him from placing his foot down. I nonetheless keep in mind Leo Santa Cruz, as soon as a beloved motion star who seemingly fought twice as typically as his friends, steadily tanking his status by “leaving it as much as his crew.” Public opinion already appears to be turning in opposition to Munguia, and if he needs to retain any semblance of relevance, he wants to start out giving Oscar and the remainder of the rabble some ultimatums.

Anyway, he’s going to kick Kelly’s ass. Munguia KO-3

Edgar Berlanga vs Roamer Alexis Angulo

Unhealthy Left Hook may have dwell protection for Berlanga vs Angulo on Saturday, June 11, beginning at 11 pm ET.

Scott Christ

Berlanga’s knockout streak by no means satisfied me that he was a can’t-miss blue chipper, however the best way these stoppages largely got here — with out the Puerto Rican slugger seeming to chase them — advised to me that he could possibly be a reliable contender.

After his final three fights, I’m loads iffier, as most are. He dominated Demond Nicholson over eight, after which principally “received previous” Marcelo Coceres and Steve Rolls. These are competent, strong veteran fighters, however a man referred to as the “Chosen One” was anticipated to do much more. He didn’t seem like a dangerous fighter, however he didn’t seem like a man ok to be a headliner on ESPN in showcase fights, not somebody the place you’re excited simply to tune in.

Throughout the Inoue-Kambosos present on ESPN+ on Tuesday morning, ESPN ran a promo spot for this that was all Joe Tessitore screaming throughout his KO streak, which now appears like historic historical past, and nothing from the whole ESPN crew principally taking a dump on Berlanga’s potential within the Rolls combat. The commentary was so brutal that it felt like a success job, in all honesty, however right here he’s, headlining once more.

Anyway, I feel he’ll get the nod right here, however it is a harmful combat until he’s made some marked enhancements. Angulo isn’t any high contender, nevertheless it took David Benavidez 10 rounds to get him out of there, and his solely different loss was to Zurdo Ramirez in a world title combat. He upset Anthony Sims Jr, who was additionally an unbeaten prospect of considerably questionable ceiling, in early 2020. And Angulo can punch. I’m taking Berlanga by razor skinny margins with perhaps some controversy in regards to the scores. Berlanga SD-10

Wil Esco

I can’t assist however really feel like the thrill surrounding Edgar Berlanga has dropped off significantly since his streak of first spherical knockouts ended. Berlanga hasn’t scored a stoppage in three consecutive fights and as his degree of competitors has elevated marginally his performances haven’t been practically as spectacular.

Berlanga is a bruising puncher, however he’s not nice on his ft and I severely surprise if he has the ways to arrange his KO energy in opposition to extra succesful opponents. If I had been to simply gauge issues for Berlanga proper now, I feel he’s beginning to max out his potential the place he can win however gained’t essentially be doing it in charming trend. I’ll nonetheless give Berlanga the sting right here in opposition to Angulo, however I feel he’ll battle enormously in opposition to fighters of a barely higher caliber. For now, although, Berlanga takes a win on the playing cards. Berlanga UD-10

John Hansen

I really feel like I did greater than my share in my Munguia-Kelly “decide.” So, I’ll preserve this brief and direct, and go away it to the opposite guys to hold on a brand new Unhealthy Left Hook custom and focus on How Good Is Edgar Berlanga, Actually?

As I stated on this week’s podcast, even when Berlanga is simply fairly good, that’s nonetheless fairly good. He hasn’t appeared nice recently, however he nonetheless retains successful.

This one is a ten spherical combat, and Angulo already confirmed sturdiness, if not competitiveness, when he went to 10 or extra in opposition to two superior energy punching tremendous middleweight opponents in Zurdo Ramirez and David Benavidez. So, put me down for Berlanga, however on the full distance. Berlanga UD-10

Patrick Stumberg

Sorry, needed to get the picture out of my head.

One bizarre factor I’ve seen in fight sports activities is that believing you’re invincible will help you be invincible. That undoubtedly appeared to be the case for Berlanga; his laundry record of technical points didn’t matter when he stepped into the ring with absolute certainty that it doesn’t matter what his opponent tried, he’d smash them in three minutes or much less. Now that the veneer is gone, it looks like he’s struggling to cope with his personal mortality, and he simply doesn’t have the instruments to combat like a mortal man.

Fortunately for him, Angulo doesn’t determine to check him a lot. Not like Steve Rolls, Angulo’s going to be a reasonably straightforward goal; he marches ahead with energy punches and doesn’t do an entire lot else. If there’s one factor we will nonetheless belief Berlanga to do, it’s plant his ft and throw bombs. The jury’s out on whether or not he can truly cease Angulo, who spent 10 rounds getting his shit pushed in by the division’s meanest puncher with out ever hitting the deck, however he can in all probability do sufficient injury to make the veteran shell up and trip issues out. Berlanga UD-10

Fast Picks!

Hiroto Kyoguchi vs Esteban Bermudez

Unhealthy Left Hook may have dwell protection for Kyoguchi vs Bermudez on Friday, June 10, beginning at 8 pm ET.

• Scott: Kyoguchi TKO-8
• Wil: Kyoguchi UD-12
• John: Kyoguchi TKO-9
• Patrick: Kyoguchi TKO-9

Richard Riakporhe vs Fabio Turchi

• Scott: Riakporhe UD-12
• Wil: Riakporhe TKO-6
• John: Riakporhe UD-12
• Patrick: Riakporhe TKO-5

Trevor Bryan vs Daniel Dubois

Unhealthy Left Hook may have dwell protection for Bryan vs Dubois on Saturday, June 11, beginning at 4 pm ET.

• Scott: Dubois TKO-3
• Wil: Dubois TKO-7
• John: Dubois TKO-6
• Patrick: Dubois KO-1