:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63726145/DiazFonsecaPC_Hoganphotos1.0.jpg)
Miss anything on Thursday? Here’s your chance to catch up.
Top Stories
It remains Canelo-Jacobs fight week. For those of you dead sick of hearing about this fight, hey, it’s only two days away. Then a day of fallout minimum, possibly much more if something weird happens. Anyway, TODAY’S UPDATES!
- The undercard press conference was held. We’ve got a full quotes rundown plus STAREDOWN PHOTOS, but the real money was in Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr from this otherwise mostly routine event. Diaz got into an on-stage scuffle with opponent Freddy Fonseca, and after the event got into a shouting match with Tevin Farmer. Diaz and Farmer kept talking after, with Farmer saying he won’t give Diaz a shot at his IBF title, and Diaz dropping a lot of expletives in response. Well, they both did, but Diaz did more cusses.
- Other than that, we took a look at Daniel Jacobs’ keys to victories, and the five biggest fights that led both Canelo Alvarez and Jacobs to Saturday’s fight.
- One of the big things that people seemed interested in was the second, day-of weigh-in that will be taking place for Canelo vs Jacobs. Jacobs thinks that’s just Golden Boy and Canelo trying to get an advantage, and manager Keith Connolly agrees. Trainer Andre Rozier talked about Canelo, saying the Mexican is not more dangerous than Gennady Golovkin.
On Friday, we’ll have live coverage and a stream of the Canelo-Jacobs weigh-in, starting at 4:30 pm ET. Also check back at Noon ET for our staff picks for the main event.
Quick Hits
- There were some fights last night, as Golden Boy held a card at the Hard Rock in Vegas, putting on another enjoyable show streamed on Facebook. I know these lower-tier shows just aren’t for everybody, but they’ve had some fun fights on these Thursdays recently. Peak audience was about 4.5K viewers during the Canadians on the undercard, but the main event was a good one, with no-promoter Christopher Pearson upsetting Yamaguchi Falcao. Bernard Hopkins wanted to run backstage and get Pearson, a former prospect of some note who suffered a couple losses, signed up for Golden Boy.
- Speaking of “other fights,” don’t forget that ESPN has a show Saturday, led by two world title fights. Those fighters had their final presser on Thursday, too, and we’ll have staff picks for Beterbiev-Kalajdzic at 5 pm ET on Friday. Also live updates from the weigh-in, starting at 6 pm ET.
- The Tony Harrison-Jermell Charlo rematch has found its home at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Guillermo Rigondeaux will face Julio Ceja in the co-feature, and the show will air on FOX.
- Jessie Vargas once again says that he wants to face Jaime Munguia and try to become a three-division titleholder, and Golden Boy seems into the idea, perhaps wanting to come up with something for Munguia as quickly as possible so hardcore fans will stop yelling about Dennis Hogan.
- Did you think maybe Andre Ward was going to fight again? Well, he’s not. (For now. It’s boxing. C’mon.) His old nemesis Carl Froch joked (we’re pretty sure) about coming back to fight George Groves for a third time.
- The May 18 Saunders-Isufi card on ESPN+ is coming together. Joe Joyce will face Alexander Ustinov, and Frank Warren signed British 122-pound champion Brad Foster, who will face Commonwealth champ Ashley Lane on the show.
- MTK Global has yet another ESPN+ show coming on June 22, with Lee McGregor facing Scott Allan in the all-Scottish main event from Glasgow for the Commonwealth bantamweight title.
- Devin Haney had a presser in Las Vegas to speak about his new deal with Matchroom Boxing and DAZN. It takes about nine-and-a-half minutes to get to Haney talking.