Zihuatanejo, Mexico, Dec. 7
Hugo Cazares vs. Julio Cesar Miranda, 10 rounds, junior featherweights
Does the name Zihuatanejo ring a bell to you? That’s where Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman met again in the final scene of the classic “Shawshank Redemption”. And redemption is exactly what Cazares (39-7-2, 27 KO) will be looking for in this fight against a tough contender in “Pingo” Miranda (37-9-2, 29 KO). Cazares had won his super flyweight title in Japan in 2009 and was on a roll with 5 defenses until he dropped a split decision to Tomonobu Shimizu in Tokyo in 2011 to return the belt back to where it came from, and he has been busy making a hole in that wall behind the Rachel Welch poster ever since, in his desire to get back into the big time. If he does, a mega-fight against tough countryman Leo Santa Cruz looms in the future for him.
What to look for in this fight: Miranda will be taking a step up in both weight and class against Cazares but will be up to the task anyway. In the end, Cazares escapes (yep, another cheap pun) with a victory – and another title shot in his future.
Cordoba, Argentina, Dec. 7
John Jackson vs. Jorge Miranda, 10 rounds, junior middleweights
Julius Jackson vs. Nicolas Lopez , 10 rounds, middleweights
Samuel Rogers vs. Carlos Adan Jerez,
The “Hawk’s Flock” takes an intriguing trip overseas to fight in this rare Sampson Boxing card in Cordoba, Argentina, where two sons and a nephew of Julian “The Hawk” Jackson make the trek from their native US Virgin Islands to test their power on a group of tough-chinned local contenders. John was bumped to the main event when he secured the experienced “Chino” Miranda as his opponent, with Julius now facing a young unbeaten local contender in Lopez. Samuel Rogers will be taking on a very tough journeyman in Jerez, who has been known for taking the best punches from a long list of contenders that include names such as Walter Matthysse, Anthony Mundine and Vyacheslav Senchenko.
What to look for in these fights: traces of the enormous talent of Julian Jackson in these three promising young fighters, in three fights that will put their chins, their hearts and their boxing skills to the test.
