Pick It: William Zepeda-Maxi Hughes

When to watch: Saturday, March 16. The televised undercard begins at 8pm EST.

Where to watch: DAZN 

Why to watch: So much attention has gone to so many lightweights in recent years – mostly to a collection of young talent that has included Gervonta Davis, Keyshawn Davis, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, Frank Martin, and Shakur Stevenson.

William Zepeda wants to be considered among them. The 27 year old from Mexico has graduated from prospect into contender by passing solid tests over the past two years. He earned decisions over former titleholders Rene Alvarado and Jo Jo Diaz, then scored knockouts over former contenders Jaime Arboleda and Mercito Gesta. 

At 29-0 (25 KOs), Zepeda is on the verge of a title shot. He’ll fight in an eliminator against Maxi Hughes in the main event at Las Vegas’ The Cosmopolitan.

Hughes, a 34-year-old from the United Kingdom, is 26-6-2 (5 KOs). Don’t let that record fool you. He’s gotten better with age, and had recorded seven straight victories heading his fight in July 2023 with George Kambosos Jr. There are those who believe the Kambosos fight should’ve made it eight in a row. Alas, two judges scored for Kambosos, and the third had it a draw.

The winner will be in line to compete for the IBF title left vacant when Haney moved up to 140lbs, and the WBA title held by “Tank” Davis (one imagines that the winner’s team will aim for the IBF title first).

Zepeda should be the favorite against Hughes, given his advantages in power and youth. And that’s what Golden Boy Promotions, the organization promoting Zepeda and this show, is banking on. 

They’re also using the undercard to build another lightweight – Floyd Schofield, the 16-0 (12 KOs), 21 year old who’s said he wants to face Zepeda. Schofield fights Esteuri Suero, 13-1 (10 KOs).

More Fights to Watch

Friday, March 15: Callum Walsh-Dauren Yeleussinov (UFC Fight Pass, 8pm EST)

Walsh, an undefeated junior middleweight prospect from Ireland, has some big names behind him. His trainer, Freddie Roach. His promoter Tom Loeffler, who worked with Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko as well as Gennadiy Golovkin. He’s backed by Dana White, the president and chief executive of the UFC, whose streaming service has broadcast Walsh for almost all of his brief pro career.

The 23-year-old will have significant attention on Friday, when he headlines at the Madison Square Garden Theatre for the traditional show coinciding with St Patrick’s Day, which is officially celebrated on March 17.

Walsh, 9-0 (7 KOs), is hoping to start the celebration early. He’s coming off a busy 2023 in which he fought four times and recorded a unanimous decision over the once-beaten Ismael Villarreal – tougher competition than that most fighters would typically encounter so early in their careers.

Yeleussinov is a 37-year-old with only 15 fights in his nine years as a professional; his record reads 11-3-1 (10 KOs). He’s the older brother of Daniyar Yeleussinov, who won gold at Rio 2016.

Dauren has spent much of his career at middleweight and super middleweight, but he has been in the 154lbs division for his past two appearances. He scored a second-round TKO in his native Kazakhstan (he now calls New York City home) over a designated opponent, and then dropped a split-decision in Turkey to a fighter with an 8-1 record – Pius Mpenda.

Saturday, March 16: Nathan Heaney-Brad Pauls, Joe Joyce-Kash Ali (ESPN+, 2pm EST)

Nathan Heaney hopes to follow up on his biggest career win to date with a victory over Brad Pauls. The 34 year old from Stoke-on-Trent, England, is campaigning for a middleweight title shot.

Heaney, 18-0 (6 KOs), surprised Denzel Bentley via majority decision in November. Bentley had earned some praise for how he performed in defeat against 160lbs titleholder Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in 2022; Alimkhanuly is who Heaney is targeting.

But first he must beat the 30-year-old Pauls, from Harlow, England. Pauls is 18-1 (10 KOs), having lost via decision to Tyler Denny a year ago and recorded two straight wins since – including an eighth-round TKO of the previously unbeaten Mitchell Frearson last September.

Also on this show: The heavyweight contender Joe Joyce returns for the first time since his awful 2023, when the previously indestructible “Juggernaut” was proven otherwise during successive early defeats by Zhilei Zhang. Joyce (15-2, 14 KOs), a 38-year-old from London, fights Kash Ali, a 32-year-old also from the United Kingdom and also coming off a loss, on points to Bohdan Myronets in July, leaving his record at 21-2 (12 KOs). His other defeat was a famous one – he was disqualified for biting David Price in 2019

The rest of the card could be worth tuning in for, because it features, at junior featherweight, Liam Davies, 15-0 (7 KOs), and Erik Robles Ayala, 15-1 (9 KOs), and Dennis McCann, 14-0-1 (8 KOs), and Brad Strand, 11-0 (3 KOs); at junior welterweight Pierce O'Leary, 13-0 (7 KOs) and Hovhannes Martirosyan, 16-0 (10 KOs), and at super middleweights Zach Parker, 23-1 (17 KOs) and Tyron Zeuge (27-1-1, 15 KOs).

Additional Shows

Wednesday, March 13: Radivoje Kalajdzic-Sullivan Barrera (ProBoxTV.com, 8pm EST)

(Note: BoxingScene.com is owned by ProBox.) 

Kalajdzic and Barrera, two light heavyweights of relatively recent vintage, fight in the main event of this show in Plant City, Florida.

Kalajdzic, 32 years old, is 28-2 (20 KOs). He was once best known for his first loss, which many considered a robbery – an eight-round split decision defeat by Marcus Browne. That result became even more maddening because Browne, talented in his own right, went on to bigger opportunities while Kalajdzic didn’t. Kalajdzic eventually got a title shot, when challenging Artur Beterbiev in 2019. It ended for Kalajdzic the same way as every other opponent of Beterbiev — early. Kalajdzic was finished in the fifth round. He’s recorded four straight wins since.

He’ll try to make it five against Barrera, who recently turned 42 and is returning after more than 32 months away. Barrera defected from Cuba and its standout amateur program, and was able to turn professional in 2009, ultimately becoming a contender and facing several notable or otherwise recognizable names at 175. Between 2016 and 2019 those highlights and lowlights involved him losing a decision to Andre Ward, knock out Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, outpoint Joe Smith, get stopped late by Dmitrii Bivol, and lose on the scorecards to Jesse Hart. After a two-year layoff, Barrera came back in the summer of 2021, only to lose via fourth-round knockout to Gilberto Ramirez, leaving his record at 22-4 (14 KOs).

Follow David Greisman on Twitter @FightingWords2. His book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.