Golden Boy host a card at the USC Galen Center in Los Angeles this Saturday night, and the original main event looked an intriguing one. Sadly, unbeaten welterweight Vergil Ortiz Jr has been forced out of his scheduled contest with British hope Michael McKinson due to illness at just four days notice, with Alexis Rocha’s welterweight clash with Blair Cobbs elevated to the main event.
DAZN is the place to Rocha vs Cobbs unfold, with McKinson facing Jesus Antonio Perez Campos as the chief support.
Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) has won two straight since his sole professional loss, a close twelve round decision reverse to Rashidi Ellis in October 2020.
His comeback wins have both been knockout ones, the last a ninth round success against Jeovanis Barraza in November 2021.
Undefeated Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) has had some decent wins, none better than his last fight, where he stopped Brad Solomon in five rounds. Rocha went the full ten with Solomon a year earlier.
Prediction: I favour Rocha to take a close decision win.
McKinson clashes with Campos
McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) has been a slow burning progression, but a well guarded British boxing secret is finally now coming to the fore.
After building a solid unbeaten record, the 27-year-old was brought in as the B side in a contest in Gibraltar against Chris Kongo on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s rematch win over Alexander Povetkin last March, and he made the most of his opportunity, dropping Kongo in the opener on the way to an impressive points win.
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’The Problem’ backed that win up last time out in the Matchroom back garden in August 2021, easily outscoring Przemyslaw Runowski over ten.
Martin (17-3, 6 KOs) is currently on a four-fight winning streak, after losing three on the spin, so will have plenty of ambition to win here.
The man from Illinois was last in the ring in August last year, winning every round of ten against Josec Ruiz.
Prediction: McKinson will just be happy to still be boxing on this bill, and will want to put on an impressive performance. He is not a noted puncher, and relies more on his boxing skills, so I expect him to get the job done widely on the cards.
Melikuziev meets Zeggara
Bektemir Melikuziev (8-1, 6 KOs) continues his rebuild after a knockout defeat to Gabe Rosado last year, and the Uzbek light heavyweight clashes with Peru’s David Zegarra (34-7, 21 KOs) over 10 rounds.
Prediction: Zegarra has lost his last four, stopped three times in that run and Melikuziev should be able to end this early.
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Ali battles Barnett
Greenwich-based Somalian, Ramla Ali (4-0) continues her education, and she takes on Canada’s Shelly Barnett over a scheduled eight at super bantamweight.
Ali (4-0) has had a steady start to life as a professional, and steps up to eight round level here.
Prediction: Barnett (5-6-2) has never been stopped, and with Ali not having an early win to her name, the smart money is on an Ali points win.
Hovhannisyan faces Ruiz
In the rest of the eight rounders, super bantamweight Azat Hovhannisyan (20-3, 16 KOs) goes for his seventh straight win after losing a world title tilt in 2018, and the Armenian meets Victor Ruiz (23-12, 16 KOs), who was stopped in a round last time out.
Prediction: Hovhannisyan can win inside schedule.
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Remaining Undercard
At super welterweight, Alex Rincon (9-0, 6 KOs) should remain unbeaten with a points win against Luis Midyael Sanchez (9-2, 6 KOs).
Big punching bantamweight, John Ramirez (8-0, 7 KOs) may well have to go the distance in his six rounder with Mexico’s Roberto Pucheta (10-20-3, 6 KOs), who has only been stopped once in twenty defeats.
The other six rounders come at super lightweight, where Alejandro Reyes (6-0, 4 KOs) should stop Daniel Evangelista Jr (20-12-2, 16 KOs), and at welterweight, Evan Anthony Sanchez (10-0, 6 KOs) should do the same against Alejandro Munera (6-4-4, 5 KOs).
At lightweight, Miguel Gaona (1-0) should take a points win over four against Gilberto Aguilar (0-4), a man he defeated on the cards on debut.
Also at lightweight over four, Dalis Kaleiopou (1-0, 1 KO) may need the distance to win against Manuel Lara (2-7).
