Golden Boy Promotions is back on HBO this Saturday night (July 15, 2017) with a pair of world title fights in the 130-pound super featherweight division in the feature spots of a seven-bout boxing card at the Forum in Inglewood, California. The main event figures to be a fight of the year candidate, as WBC super featherweight champion Miguel Berchelt (31-1) defends his title against Japan’s Takashi Miura (31-3-2).
Miura is a former holder of the WBC belt himself, winning the belt back in April of 2013 when he defeated Gamaliel Diaz. He made four successful title defenses before losing it to Francisco Vargas in November of 2015. In January of this year, the hard-working Berchelt took the belt when he stopped Francisco Vargas. Miura battled his way to a 12th-round stoppage of tough Miguel Roman on that same night in January, and the Japanese “all-action” fighter has been on a collision course with Berchelt ever since. At 25 years old, Berchelt is hungry, and a hard-hitting war is expected.
Awaiting the victor could be the winner of Jezreel Corrales and Robinson Castellanos, with the former defending his WBA world title. Corrales won the WBA belt with a win over longtime champion Takashi Uchiyama. He then sealed his hold on the belt by going back to Japan and winning the rematch with Uchiyama as well. Castellanos is a solid veteran who has been operating on a high level and took most of the losses on his career in the early going. At the end of the day, a showdown between Corrales and Miura or Berchelt will probably be next in line, as he enters his bout versus Castellanos as a major favorite.
Two fighters bucking for position in the crowded light heavyweight division will meet on this card too, as WBC International champion Joe Smith Jr. (23-1) takes on Cuba’s Sullivan Barrera (19-1). Smith Jr. is coming off a strong 2016 that saw him upset Andrzej Fonfara and also take out legendary Bernard Hopkins, but the big fights still elude him. Here Smith Jr. will be an underdog against Barrera, whose lone career loss came at the hands of divisional kingpin Andre Ward.
Forum – Inglewood, California – HBO
Super Featherweight – 12 rounds
Takashi Miura +200
Miguel Berchelt -280
Super Featherweight – 12 rounds
Robinson Castellanos +500
Jazreel Corrales -900
Light Heavyweight – 12 rounds
Sullivan Barrera -270
Joe Smith Jr. +190
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