James DeGale v Caleb Truax
Returning to the ring for the first time since January, expect DeGale to pick up an easy win against an opponent hand-picked to make him look good.
Truax is a decent fighter, but he’s naturally a middleweight and has lost to every decent opponent he’s ever faced.
He’s been knocked out by Daniel Jacobs and Anthony Dirrell inside his last five fights, and a similar result is almost certain when he takes on DeGale on Saturday.
The IBF champion was on a 13-fight winning streak before a gruelling draw with Badou Jack 11 months ago, and has still only lost one professional bout against George Groves in May 2011.
Ring rust is a risk after a pretty long layoff, but DeGale should make pretty light work of Truax nevertheless.
A stoppage win for the Engishman is a safe bet.
Lee Selby v Eduardo Ramirez
Selby’s fourth defence of his IBF featherweight title might be his most straightforward yet.
The Welsh Mayweather has won 21 successive bouts since losing a four-rounder to Samir Mouneimne in May 2009, and will be in line for some major unification fights if he can come through Saturday night unscathed.
That shouldn’t be a problem against Ramirez, despite how promising the 24-year-old has looked in his 23 professional fights.
The Mexican has never faced an opponent of Selby’s calibre, and lacks the power to even have a puncher’s chance against the IBF champion.
Expect Selby to win on points, just as he has in three of his last four fights.
Vasyl Lomachenko v Guillermo Rigondeaux
This is the best pure boxing match of the year, featuring two of the world’s most technical fighters who are third and fourth respectively in Ring magazine’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Lomachenko is one of the most accomplished amateur boxers of all time, and has adapted seamlessly to the professional game after winning a featherweight world title in his first bout and a super featherweight belt in his seventh.
The Ukrainian’s 10-fight record is perfect aside from a split-decision defeat to Orlando Salido in March 2014, finishing each of his last six opponents inside the distance.
Lomachenko is typically a counter-puncher, but he’ll likely be the aggressor against Rigondeaux, who always boxes on the back foot.
The 37-year-old is undefeated in 18 fights with one no-contest, and has dominated his division since turning pro in 2009.
The key factor in this fight is the huge size difference between the two boxers.
Rigondeaux has never been a particularly big super bantamweight, and he’s now moving up two divisions for this title shot against the world’s best super featherweight.
The Cuban’s been knocked down a few times in his career, and he’ll struggle to stay out of harms way against the imposing Lomachenko.
The 29-year-old should make his size count and secure a stoppage win in the later rounds.
