I hate when people say Linares quit- I rated him from getting up from a perfect liver punch and it was clear how hurt he was.
There is no way Linares quit on the day, but he just didn't have anything left from a great punch from Lomachenko who has now elevated himself to the Number 1 position in the pound for pound list. I would love to see Lomachenko come over to the United Kingdom if only to have the chance to see a truly special fighter perform, although it looks like Lomachenko is heading towards a SUPER fight with Mikey Garcia assuming both fighters pick up their second World Tittles in the Lightweight Division in the coming months.
Both Lomachenko and Garcia are set for Unification bouts in the summer which would set up a blockbuster between the two for the end of 2018.
Can you imagine an end of the year where Lomachenko-Garcia and Joshua-Wilder both set to go? I think the former is more likely to happen, especially with the news about the latter bout slowing down over the last week as the two teams continue to hash out the details of the deal.
I am hopeful that they will get together and figure it out, but it looks more and more likely that both will be in action this summer in different bouts and any fight between the top two Heavyweights in the world will have to wait until 2019. Hopefully by that time we will be talking about Joshua and Wilder being a part of the top three Heavyweights as Tyson Fury will be a year into his return to the sport too.
One other fighter who we have been hearing a lot from over the last couple of weeks is Tony Bellew who is fresh off another win over David Haye. Bellew has a lot of options and continues to speak about being the best Cruiserweight in the world, but I would have him behind all four Semi Finalists from the World Boxing Super Series.
Bellew won't mind being an underdog to anyone as he has raised his performances in each bout he has been disregarded, but I don't think he truly chases the winner of the World Boxing Super Series as they may not be a 'big enough name' for the casuals to get excited about. That will be the case even if the winner is expected to move up to Heavyweight and instead Bellew is looking at Tyson Fury and Andre Ward as the next fighter he wants to take on.
He is considerably bigger than Ward which would make the fight much closer than most expect, but I would expect Fury to deal with Bellew comfortably.
Having options is great for the Bomber though and it will be interesting to see where he takes himself going forward.
On Saturday we have some really intriguing fights coming up with the headliner from Toronto between Adonis Stevenson and Badou Jack. I can't wait for that one and it really does look a close one to call.
A huge domestic dust up comes from Elland Road earlier in the day and I am looking forward to another big day of Boxing with the Picks from those bouts below.
Lee Selby vs Josh Warrington
A hostile atmosphere awaits Lee Selby as the IBF Featherweight Champion puts his World Title on the line against local hope Josh Warrington at Elland Road in Leeds.
There is plenty on the line for the winner with a likely bout with Carl Frampton set to be put into play at Windsor Park this summer, but neither Selby or Warrington will be looking past this one where genuine dislike between the fighters and the two teams have developed.
This is a fight that Selby does feel is beneath him having reached World level and defended his World Title four times. Some have suggested we have not seen the best of Selby for some time, but I think this is the kind of bout that would have got the adrenaline going and I think we are going to see one of the best performances from Selby as he takes on an unbeaten fighter in front of his own fans.
Being unbeaten means Warrington will come in with a lot of belief in his ability to win the fight but I think this is a significant step up in class for him. His best wins have come against Dennis Ceylan, Kiko Martinez and Hisashi Amagasa but I don't think any of those are great preparation for taking on someone with the ability Selby has.
Even the win over Martinez came by Majority Decision against a fighter who has been stopped by the likes of Scott Quigg and Leo Santa Cruz (and both stopped him within Five Rounds).
I think Warrington will show plenty of heart and come forward and try to rough up Selby, but the latter is a slick boxer and I am looking for him to build up the accumulation of punches as he times Warrington coming in. Neither fighter is known for their Knock Out percentages and so the layers are anticipating the cards being read which is the most likely outcome of this one.
However I think Warrington's style may see him go out on his shield in this one as Selby starts to really dominate in the second half of the fight. Some are questioning whether Selby has some problems making weight, but he has looked good and very confident this week and I think he may just time Warrington onto something late in the fight as the home crowd urge their man forward to try and get back into the bout.
A small interest in Selby finding a second half stoppage to underline his position above Warrington's level is my call.
Gary Russell vs Joseph Diaz
The one loss on Gary Russell's record looks better in each passing month.
Russell was beaten on a Majority Decision by Vasyl Lomachenko but he has bounced back to win four consecutive fights and he has stopped his last three opponents and he has picked up the WBC Featherweight World Title in that time.
He looks to be peaking, although this will only be the third time we see Russell in the ring since April 2016 and it has been almost a year to the day when he beat Oscar Escandon. That inactivity is disappointing when it looks like Russell has plenty of talent and it is never a good look to waste too many years by taking one fight a year.
Facing his mandatory in Joseph Diaz is a tough place to return and Diaz is unbeaten which will make him more of a threat. Fighting from the southpaw stance is going to mean Russell has to readjust his shots and Diaz is definitely a live contender.
However the resume is hard to get a read on for Diaz and Russell is a considerable step up in class for the Golden Boy fighter. His team are confident he can time Russell onto some big shots and with both expected to trade this could be the surprisingly best fight of the night.
The speed of the Russell combinations is likely going to be the difference once he has worked out the southpaw stance and where Diaz is going to be expected to be. I think both fighters will land some big shots, but I expect Russell to begin to get the better of the exchanges by the middle Rounds.
Diaz is going to tough out some moments, but eventually I expect Russell's combinations to perhaps get the referee to step in and record a fourth consecutive stoppage. It could be a really fun fight though with both having to ride out some difficult moments, but I like Russell to get the stoppage at some point.
Adonis Stevenson vs Badou Jack
Superman is back this weekend for the first time in a long time we are expecting to see Adonis Stevenson given a stern examination as a World Champion. The home crowd should be behind Stevenson who has been criticised for the choices of opponents since picking up the WBA Light-Heavyweight Title, but there is no doubting that Badou Jack is a big opponent for him.
Badou Jack has come up from Super-Middleweight and dispatched Nathan Cleverley last year to announce himself at the Light-Heavyweight limit.
Jack has also been on a strong run with wins over the likes of George Groves, Anthony Dirrell and a draw with James DeGale in a fight many thought he had won and all of these fights have come after his loss.
Confidence won't be an issue for Jack, but it does feel like the most important questions are going to be needed to be answered by Stevenson.
Is he too old at 40 years old? Has inactivity slowed down Stevenson? Has he ever been the real deal at Light-Heavyweight or has Stevenson ducked live opponents to keep hold of the WBA Title?
Stevenson does look in fine shape to be honest and I think my lean has been towards the Haitian born, Canadian based Champion to make a statement this weekend. The power is quite staggering from Stevenson and it is a fight changer against any opponent and I just think he may hit Jack with something very early that puts the challenger in a tough situation.
Jack has to try and keep out of trouble and test the stamina of a 40 year old Champion, but I think Stevenson is going to be fresh enough to last the distance if necessary and I think he is also capable of carrying power through the 12 Rounds. There is no doubting Jack is a tough fighter mentally, but he was put down by DeGale and he has been hurt by fighters who simply don't hit anything like as hard as Stevenson who also provides more awkward moments coming out of the southpaw stance.
I just think rumours of the Stevenson demise have been greatly exaggerated and I think he re-announces himself on the world stage with a big performance.
I've had a gut feeling this is an early win for Stevenson to really send out a statement to the rest of the Division and perhaps even line up a potential rematch with Tony Bellew at a catchweight. At some stage I expect Stevenson to hurt Jack to the body and follow up with some thudding shots that hurt the challenger. He won't let Jack off the hook either and I expect Stevenson to hold back Father Time for at least one more fight.
While I've got a feeling it is going to come early, I will simply look for Stevenson to find the stoppage in the fight which is almost a pick 'em coming close to the opening bell.
MY PICKS: Lee Selby Win Between 7-12 @ 6.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Gary Russell to Win by KO, TKO or Disqualification @ 2.62 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Adonis Stevenson to Win by KO, TKO or Disqualification @ 2.75 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Boxing 2018 Update: 14-28, + 3.63 Units (63 Units Staked, + 5.76% Yield)
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