The Manchester Arena hosts Frank Warren’s Queensbury Promotions this Saturday with a live boxing card featuring 11 fights. The card is headlined by two world title fights, and just about all the bouts are up at the sportsbooks.
The main event sees WBO World Lightweight title-holder Terry Flanagan (28-0) facing the challenge of Diego Magdaleno (28-1). Flanagan successfully captured the vacant belt last July in his hometown of Manchester and at 26 years old, he is hoping for a long title reign. Flanagan followed the usual progression to the world title that most British fighters follow, as he has held English, British and European titles on his way up.
For his part, Magdaleno claims that his motivation is not losing a second chance at a world title, as his lone loss came in a world title bid against Roman Martinez back in April of 2013. Magdaleno too has won NABF and WBO International titles. Magdaleno spent most of his career fighting at super featherweight, but has since moved up to lightweight, where he has won five fights in a row and three of them have come by way of stoppages.
[related_post_one]
The second world title fight sees the WBO filling their vacant title at super welterweight as undefeated British fighter Liam Smith (20-0-1) faces the 2015 Boxcino tournament winner John Thompson (17-1). Thompson took a year off after his January of 2014 loss to Frank Galarza, but the Boxcino series that aired on ESPN saw him win three fights and the tournament title between February and May of this year. Thompson appeared focused after the long layoff, and he closed out the Boxcino tournament with a knockout of favorite Brandon Adams in the second round of their fight. Smith picked up a draw in September of 2010 for the lone blemish on his record, and he has won every fight since. Smith has held British and Commonwealth titles as well as a pair of regional WBA and WBO belts and the next step for him is genrally considered the world title.
A big name to look out for on the card is India’s Vijender Singh. Singh made a big splash back in 2008 when he earned a Bronze medal at the Olympics, becoming the first person from India to medal in the sport. Now 30 years old, Singh is making his professional debut in a match against Sonny Whiting (2-1). Singh is expected to have a lot of backing and support from England’s Indian community, and of course the whole country of India. If he keeps winning, you could see promoter Frank Warren make him as a drawing card.
In this latest blog, we review the odds for the main card of this weekend’s boxing action at the Manchester Arena.
