The Irish feel from the main event continues into the undercard in Philadelphia.
Bray’s WBA and IBF Lightweight Champion, Katie Taylor (12-0, KO5), again has a chance to shine, as she defends her belts, and looks to add a third Title against the Brazilian, and unbeaten WBO Champion, Rose Volante (14-0, KO8).
Taylor has barely lost a round in a near flawless career so far, following a glittering unpaid career where she captured Olympic Gold in 2012 to go with five World Championship Golds. She has made five successful defences of her WBA belt that she won in October 2017 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, with a dominant points win against Anahi Esther Sanchez. She picked up the IBF Title two fights later, with another boxing clinic against Victoria Noelia Bustos in Brooklyn. Three simple defences of the unified Title have followed, with her last one a shutout points win over Eva Wahlstrom at Madison Square Garden in December 2018.
Volante is unbeaten, and heavy handed, but steps outside South America for the very first time. She has held her WBO Title since December 2017, when she travelled to hostile territory in Argentina to defeat Brenda Karen Carabajal. Despite flooring the Argentine twice, Volante won via tight majority decision. She has defended twice since, both in her home country. A fifth round retirement win over Lourdes Borbua was followed up in her last outing, in September 2018 with a third round stoppage of Yolis Marrugo Franco.
Prediction: Taylor is destined for greatness it seems, and I can’t see Volante preventing this. Taylor’s beautiful boxing skills will be on display, and this will discourage and frustrate the Brazilian. All signs point to another routine shutout points win for the Irishwoman.
2012 Olympic Gold Medallist, Luke Campbell (19-2, KO15) gets a run out on the bill, as he waits patiently for a shot at the WBC Lightweight Title, currently held by Mikey Garcia. Garcia has other business a day later, as he attempts to jump two weight divisions to relieve Errol Spence Junior of his IBF Welterweight Title in Texas. “Cool Hand” marks time with a ten rounder against Mexican Adrian Young (26-5, KO20).
Campbell was unlucky to come up just short in a previous attempt at the WBA Lightweight Title in September 2017, when the superb Venezuelan, Jorge Linares pipped him by split decision. He has two wins since, including avenging his only other defeat. Yvan Mendy stunned Campbell in December 2015 via split decision, but Campbell comfortably turned the tables in September 2018 at Wembley Stadium by wide decision.
Young has faced no one of note, and is designed for Campbell to look good in front of an American audience.
Prediction: Campbell to showcase his class, and prevail by stoppage around halfway.
In a Middleweight ten rounder, fan favourite, Gabriel Rosado (24-11-1, KO14) features on the card, as he looks to bounce back from a scrappy split draw with Luis Arias in November 2018. Rosado has been in with some top operators in losing efforts to Gennady Golovkin (TKO7) Peter Quillin (TKO10) Jermell Charlo (Unanimous) and David Lemieux (TKO10).
He meets Pole, Maciej Sulecki (27-1, KO11) who is best known for his sole career defeat, a unanimous points loss to the excellent Daniel Jacobs in April last year. He does hold a pair of decent wins over Gregorsz Proksa (TKO7, November 2014) and Jack Culcay via unanimous decision in October 2017. He returned from the Jacobs defeat in November 2018, with a second round stoppage win against Jean Michel Himilcaro in his native Poland.
Prediction: Although Rosado has fought at a higher level, he has shipped a lot of punishment through his career. I expect Sulecki to be able to stay out of trouble and score a decent points win.
Eddie Hearn showcases talent down the card too. Daniyar Yeleussinov (5-0, KO3) is in action again, this time over eight rounds at Welterweight, against Carlos Giminez (14-9-1, KO8).
Mulligar Lightweight talent, John Joe Nevin (11-0, KO4) meets Andres Figueroa (9-3, KO5) over six rounds.
