Yordenis Ugas vs Mario Barrios and Elijah Garcia vs Armando Resendiz complete Canelo vs Charlo PPV

Showtime has officially unveiled the full pay-per-view lineup for their September 30th clash of undisputed champions between Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo.

The co-feature, first revealed a couple weeks back, sees rising super welterweight prospect Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KO) take on former title challenger Erickson Lubin (25-2, 18 KO). As I said last time, there’s a lot to like about the matchup, which pits a hulking young tank against an experienced, powerful boxer-puncher.

“I’m excited to be part of this huge card against a tough opponent on September 30,” said Ramos. “I know Lubin is training hard and coming to win, which will make for an entertaining fight. This whole card is stacked and we don’t want to disappoint, so the fans are in for a great night of boxing.”

“I know the world will be watching on September 30 and I plan on winning in a big way,” said Lubin. “We’ve got a young and talented fighter in front of us, but I’m young and talented as well. The difference is that I’ve fought the cream of the crop of the 154-pound division. Doesn’t matter if it’s Olympians, top prospects, contenders or champions, I’ve taken them on. I have a big chip on my shoulder and I know that with this win, I’ll be in a mega fight. I’m training extremely hard and the whole world will see it pay off.”

One fight prior, Yordenis Ugas (27-5, 12 KO) returns to battle Mario Barrios (27-2, 18 KO) for the interim WBC welterweight title. On its own merits, it’s a fine matchup; Ugas has more than proven his bona fides, but the younger Barrios could be a handful after injury and a long layoff. The hardware, however, is bogus. Ugas is coming off a one-sided loss and Barrios’ only win in almost three years came against Jovanie Santiago, who’d lost his last two.

It doesn’t even make sense by the WBC’s own godawful rankings, as Keith Thurman and Cody Crowley are both ranked above Ugas.

“Both me and Mario Barrios have a lot to gain with a victory on September 30, so I know that this fight is going to be one to remember,” said Ugas. “I have tremendous respect for Barrios. He’s a true warrior who’s been in the ring with the best of them, but I have confidence that I’ll be victorious. I have a lot of fight left in me and my best skills will be on display in this fight. Patria y Vida, I fight for my people.”

“This fight is going to be a war, because we both fight with a lot of heart and neither of us ever backs down,” said Barrios. “I can’t wait to compete in a matchup like this on one of the biggest cards of the year. This is going to be a great night of boxing from start to finish and the Mexican fans can expect to see an explosive performance from ‘El Azteca’!”

The opener looks like a fun one between young middleweights Elijah Garcia (15-0, 12 KO) and Armando Resendiz (14-1, 10 KO). Garcia is the hotter prospect of the two after smoking Amilcar Vidal in March, but did come out a little flat against Kevin Salgado a month later before taking over down the stretch.

Resendiz, for his part, reignited his career by mauling Jarrett Hurd on the same Figueroa-Magsayo card where Garcia beat Vidal.

“This is my second fight this year on a huge pay-per-view card and I’m super excited and even more prepared than the first time,” said Garcia. “Reséndiz is a hungry fighter just like myself, so I have no doubt that we are going to put on a hell of a show for all the fans watching.”

“I’m very happy to have this great opportunity to compete on such an important fight card,” said Reséndiz. “I’m excited to realize my dream of fighting in Las Vegas, just like my boxing idols that I watched on TV. I’ve had an amazing training camp that will help me look my best on September 30 and put on a performance worthy of the boxing legends who inspire me.”

Not a bad lineup, honestly. Hard to imagine any of these fights being less than watchable and each of them could turn into proper scraps.