Andrzej Fonfara-Joe Smith Jr. on June 18th in Chicago, PBC on NBC

By Alexey Sukachev

TBRB #2 (also rated WBO/WBC #2 and WBA #3) Andrzej Fonfara (28-3, 16 KOs) will next face Joe Smith Jr. (21-1, 17 KOs) on June 18 in Chicago, Illinois. The fight will be televised by NBC as part of the Premier Boxing Champions series.

Smith Jr. is unrated by any sanctioning body but rides a 15-fight winning streak, which includes a unanimous decision over former amateur standout Will Rosinsky (19-2) in December 2015.

Fonfara is on the verge of obtaining a world title shot at champions Sergey Kovalev, Adonis Stevenson and Juergen Braehmer.

IN OTHER NEWS - Ukrainian fight veteran Victor Plotnikov (34-3, 16 KOs), who is rated #15 by the IBF in the welterweight division, will have his lengthy career at stake on May 27 in Paris as he is about to take much younger Frenchman Ahmed El Mousaoui (23-2-1, 5 KOs) in a non-title ten-rounder as a part of a huge show, promoted by Malamine Kone of MK Events.

Plotnikov, 38, had a mixed year in 2015. In February he went to the UK to produce a sound upset against 21-2 Denton Vassell for a vacant IBF I/C title, winning a wide decision. Six months later he was less successful against Australian rising star Jeff Horn, losing a technical decision. He ended 2015 with two more wins.

El Mousaoui, 26, lost to Horn one fight after in December 2015. That loss also followed his biggest win – a split decision over aging former WBC light welterweight champion Junior Witter in April 2015. El Mousaoui is 1-0 after his loss to Horn, winning a majority decision in a non-title six-rounder.