We got another weekend of Boxing coming up and of course we have some awesome fights to look forward to. The only card that has any true implications is the card on ESPN+ featuring a rematch for the WBO Light Heavyweight Championship.

Saturday February 2

Who: Eleider Alvarez vs Sergey Kovalev II

Where: Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas

When: 12ET/9PT

How: ESPN+

Implications: Let’s just get the obvious out of the way here, that start time is absolute nonsense. How does Top Rank expect anyone to watch when the main event is after 1am on the east coast? This upsets me because this is an awesome fight between two absolute killers. WBO Champ Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (24-0, 12 KO’s) was not knows as a massive puncher going into his first fight with “Krusher” Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KO’s). However, he shocked the world and knocked him out in 7 rounds last August. He had waited for a mandatory shot for close to 3 years and finally was able to show the world who he was.

Kovalev took his time after the knockout and contemplated retirement, in the end he chose the rematch clause and is trying to reclaim his belt. Since losing twice to Andre Ward, Kovalev has never truly been the same and if he loses this fight it would seem to be the end.

This is a tough stylistic matchup because in the first fight Kovalev was getting the better of Alvarez and seemed to be the better boxer. None of that mattered once Storm connected with a massive right hand that was the beginning of the end.

I think Kovalev just does not have it anymore, he could win a few early rounds, but will get caught again and it may be the last we see of him.

*Undercard Notes

• In the Co Feature we have possibly the top prospect in all of boxing Teofimo Lopez (11-0, 9 KO’s). He is brash, he is bold, and he can knock people the hell out.

        He is on the fast track to stardom and in his way this week is Diego Magdaleno (30-2, 13 KO’s). Magdaleno is a good fighter who had never been knocked out until he got blistered by Terry Flanagan a couple years ago. Since then he has only fought 2 times in 3 years, so he seems ripe for the picking for Teofimo. Lopez by 2nd round KO. Oh… and there’s this..

• On the ESPN portion of the card we have the return of WBO Featherweight titlist Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KO’s). Valdez has not fought since March of last year when he broke his jaw in a brutal war with Scott Quigg. He finally says he is ready to go and is defending his title against Carmine Tommasone (19-0, 5 KO’s). This will be Tommasone’s first fight in the US and it is of course going to be a banger. Last time we saw Valdez he did not know the meaning of the word defense, so if he is not careful Tommasone might box around him for a few rounds. Once Valdez gains his bearings though it could be night night for Carmine.

I hope everyone enjoys this great card and has an awesome weekend!

*As always my pound for pound list can be found here.