:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68469221/1211059934.0.jpg)
Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez and Matchroom prospects Diego Pacheco, Alexis Espino, Marc Castro, and Austin Williams will be part of the Dec. 19 Canelo-Smith card at the Alamodome. The show streams live on DAZN.
The 28-year-old Sanchez (16-0, 12 KO) is set to face Mexico’s Julian Fernandez (14-2, 11 KO) in a 10-round bout. While Sanchez has been fighting on Premier Boxing Champions cards, he trains with Eddy Reynoso in the Canelo Alvarez camp, and has sparred with Canelo in the past, and has spoken highly of Canelo’s power. Sanchez confirmed his return on the card on Instagram.
Sanchez is thought by some to be an emerging contender in the heavyweight division, and last fought on Nov. 7, blasting through over-matched Brian Howard inside of four rounds.
How to Watch Canelo vs Smith
Date: Saturday, Dec. 19 | Start Time: 8:00 pm ET
Location: Alamodome - San Antonio, TX
Stream: DAZN
Online Coverage: BadLeftHook.com
Matchroom officially announced the inclusion of their four young fighters on Saturday.
- Pacheco (10-0, 8 KO) is a 19-year-old super middleweight, and is lined up to face Rodolfo Gomez Jr (14-4-1, 10 KO) in an eight-round bout
- Espino (6-0, 4 KO) is a 20-year-old middleweight/super middleweight, set to take on Ashton Sykes (5-3, 1 KO) in a six-rounder
- Williams (6-0, 5 KO) is the oldest of the group at 24, and the middleweight will face Isiah Jones (9-3, 3 KO) in a six-rounder; you may know Jones from three appearances in the Top Rank “bubble” this summer, going 1-2 overall with losses to Nikoloz Sekhniashvili and Wendy Toussaint, and a win over Donte Stubbs
- The 21-year-old Castro, a bantamweight, is looking to finally turn pro after a positive COVID test and an ankle injury shelved him from a pair of attempts to do so this year
In addition to these fights and the main event, Julio Cesar Martinez will defend the WBC flyweight title against veteran Francisco Rodriguez Jr, which could be a sneaky good fight if Rodriguez makes weight OK (he hasn’t actually made flyweight since 2016, fighting at 115 the last few years).