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Tonight at 10:00 pm EDT on HBO, Gennady Golovkin will return in what is now a half-non-title match against Marco Antonio Rubio, while Nonito Donaire faces Nicholas Walters for the WBA featherweight crown in the co-feature.
Golovkin (30-0, 27 KO) is the heavy favorite once again, and it's unlikely that Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KO) missing weight is going to change anyone's ind about the outcome of this fight, but the pleasure of Golovkin is, thus far at least, in seeing him do what he does.
Rubio missed weight by nearly two pounds yesterday, then did not come back to re-weigh himself within the two-hour window he had to make weight. The 34-year-old veteran loses his interim WBC belt, and cannot win Golovkin's WBA title, either. Golovkin can lose his belt if he loses the fight -- it would become vacant -- which seems a little unfair, but I don't make the rules.
Donaire (33-2, 21 KO) and Walters (24-0, 20 KO) are a much more even matchup. The 28-year-old Walters is a live dog in this one, a lesser-known fighter but one with real punching power and a chance to become a true top featherweight in the eyes of the public. Donaire, 31, seems sort of half-in, half-out of his boxing career lately, and hasn't really been impressive in the ring in a while now, going 2-1 in his last three but struggling in each of the wins, too.
This fight could be Walters' coming out party, or it could be How Nonito Got His Groove Back, as he usually does well countering aggressive fighters.