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Lamont Peterson meets Lucas Matthysse in a main event that has fight fans salivating, while Devon Alexander returns in the co-feature, and several notable prospects are in action on the undercard as well.
BLH will be here starting at 7:00 pm EDT with the Showtime Extreme broadcast, and then continuing on at 9:15 pm EDT with the Showtime bouts. Sky Sports in the UK also has TV coverage.
Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KO) won't be defending his IBF junior welterweight title, but that has done little to lessen anticipation for his fight with Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO), which is being contested at a 141-pound catchweight, a pound over the division limit, for logistical reasons on both sides, more or less.
The winner of tonight's bout is expected to face Danny Garcia on September 7, which would conclude Golden Boy's mini-tournament at 140.
The BLH staff is pretty well split on this one, with two favoring Matthysse, one pick for Peterson, and myself calling a draw, which isn't a cop-out but an actual prediction.
In the co-feature, Devon Alexander (24-1, 13 KO) also won't be defending his title, the IBF welterweight belt, after short-notice opponent Lee Purdy (20-3-1, 13 KO) missed weight yesterday. The fight will still go on, but its already low level of relevance took another hit with there being no chance that Purdy can pull the upset and take the title back to the UK. I mean, he can still win, and it would be a huge boost for his career, but it loses some of its impact anyway.
On the Showtime Extreme broadcast, Shawn Porter (20-0-1, 14 KO) will take on Phil Lo Greco (25-0, 14 KO) in a 150-pound catchweight bout between a couple of fringe prospects. Porter has received far more hype, but has sort of plateaued and world title hopes have begun to fade. Lo Greco, at 28, is getting to the now or never stage for real advancement in his career. Both had struggles last time out, with Lo Greco getting dropped by Daniel Sostre before coming back to win, and Porter going to a draw with Julio Diaz.
Also featured on the undercard, and maybe on TV: Anthony Ogogo, Haroon Khan, Jamel Herring, Rau'Shee Warren, Robert Easter Jr, and Thomas Williams Jr.