Boxing Odds Jan 23 – This Saturday, January 23rd the Staples Center will host a 9-fight boxing card with three featured fights airing on the FOX television network.
The main event has welterweights Danny Garcia (31-0) and Robert Guerrero (33-3-1) competing for the vacant WBC World title. Both men have held world titles in other weight classes, and both are making their first bid for a world belt in the welterweight division. Both men enter the fight with open questions, as Guerrero is 2-2 in his last four fights, with losses to Keith Thurman and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Though both are top guns, Guerrero is considered to have emerged from those battles on the far side of his prime and with skills that are starting to slide. Garcia has been knocked for taking a soft approach to the welterweight division, and he has not looked great in his two previous fights at 147 lbs.
A win for Garcia sets up a lot of possibilities for fights under the Premier Boxing Champions banner. First and foremost could be a showdown with the winner of March 12th meeting between Shawn Porter (26-1-1) and Keith Thurman (26-0). The PBC roster also counts on talents Adrien Broner, Amir Khan and Andre Berto in the welterweight division, so the potential mix of match-ups is intriguing. Even Guerrero could stay in the mix with a good showing in this fight with Garcia. Garica comes in as a wide favorite at the sport books for this one.
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Want to see a Close-up review of the fights by Ray Flores of The Boxing Channel? Click here.
Boxing Odds Jan 23 – Two More Fights at The Books
Also at welterweight, undefeated prospect Sammy “The Who Can Mexican” Vasquez (20-0) takes on the challenge of perennial underdog Aaron Martinez (20-4-1) who is coming off the biggest win of his career when he defeated veteran Devon Alexander. Martinez needs to win so that the Alexander win is not wasted, while Vasquez is going to come up in world title fight discussions with one or two more wins. Vasquez has already been responsible for some gutsy performances, such as his bloody June encounter with Wale Omotoso, and another is expected here as he enters a comfortable favorite.
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The Heavyweights are also on the main card as former 2012 US Olympic team member Dominic Breazeale (16-0) takes on the challenge of veteran slugger Amir Mansour (22-1-1). With the heavyweight division wide-open at the start of 2016, both men must feel like they can make an impact. For the 43-year-old Mansour, the time is now, but for Breazeale, he must start answering questions against tougher competition as well, so this is a must win for both fighters. Breazeale has to feel like he had an opportunity pass him by this past December, as he was scheduled to meet Charles Martin at a PBC card down in San Antonio. Martin pulled out of that fight and went on to defeat Vyacheslav Glazkov this past weekend to capture the IBF World Heavyweight title. The Breazeale vs Mansour fight has the closest line of the night.
Check out our latest video blog where we review the lines up at the sport books for the three main events this Saturday at the Staples Center.
