Top Rank has sent out a press release with the full lineup for their upcoming June 27 pay-per-view, and it's a pretty solid show all around for Caesars Atlantic City.
Main Event: Juan Manuel Lopez (25-0, 23 KO) v. Olivier Lontchi (18-0, 8 KO)
Maybe the least intriguing of the four scheduled televised fights, Lopez will put his WBO 122-pound title on the line against Cameroonian-Canadian Lontchi. Lopez of course last fought in April when he wailed on Gerry Penalosa, and he's been inserted into this main event after Top Rank pulled the plug on Pavlik-Mora, which Bob Arum thinks he wants to re-schedule for September 12.
Lontchi doesn't have much of a KO rate against iffy competition, and has yet to face anyone near Lopez's level. All signs point to a one-sided slaughter in this one, more a showcase for Lopez than a competitive matchup.
Fernando Montiel (39-2-1, 29 KO) v. Eric Morel (41-2, 21 KO)
WBO 118-pound titleholder Montiel has won his last seven, mostly at 115 pounds, and five of those wins have come by stoppage. Morel has fought his last five bouts in his native Puerto Rico, though he lives in Wisconsin now. "Little Hands of Stone" is probably best known for his outside the ring troubles, most notably his sexual assault of a drunk 15-year old girl that put him in prison for a couple years. Since his comeback he's 6-0 (3 KO). He's faced decent competition, too, including Ricardo Vargas and Heriberto Ruiz, but Montiel is a big step back up the ladder.
Paulie Malignaggi (26-2, 5 KO) v. Mike Alvarado (26-0, 18 KO)
Arguably the most intriguing and important fight on the show. For Malignaggi, this is kind of make or break. If he can't beat Alvarado, his status as a legitimate contender at 140 goes to pot. If Alvarado loses to Malignaggi, it's a more short-term setback. Malignaggi has to be at his best to beat a guy with Alvarado's power, but Alvarado can certainly be outboxed.
Vanes Martirosyan (24-0, 15 KO) v. Andrey Tsurkan (26-4, 17 KO)
Martirosyan fought on May 16, stopping yet another mediocre opponent. Tsurkan represents a step up, though he's very beatable. He'll also come to Martirosyan and test his mettle, so that's important. Tsurkan has been MIA since his brutal loss to Alfredo Angulo last October.