Canelo Alvarez will headline the boxing main event at Hard Rock Stadium on February 27, alongside Avni Yildirim. This will be Alvarez’s first outing of 2021, wherein he’ll defend all of his super-middleweight titles.
This fight ranks itself among the most watch-worthy boxing events of 2021. But, alongside the main event, there are some thrilling fights on the undercard which promise to be action-packed.
These fights include pugilists from different weight categories, who possess the audacity to hook in mammoth viewership. That said, let’s have a look at some intriguing fights on the undercard.
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3 most exciting fights on the Canelo Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim undercard:
Julio Cesar Martinez vs McWilliams Arroyo (WBC flyweight title)
The WBC flyweight champion, Julio Cesar Martinez, will enter the ring for a mandatory title defense against the Puerto Rican, McWilliams Arroyo. This will be Martinez’s third title defense in a row. He is a scary prospect in the 112-pound landscape who has a collection of sturdy weapons in his arsenal.
With a 17-1 record, the ‘El Rey’ has stayed on top of his game plan in every fight and will look to continue the same against McWilliams.
However, McWilliams might just turn out to be his toughest opponent yet. With a 20-4 record, he has remained highly relevant in the division. However, even after hanging around the sport for a while, he has never won a title. But, with constant improvements and wins from 2019, he has risen to the pinnacle to claim a title shot.
The Puerto Rican has all that it takes to dethrone Martinez. Hence, it will be interesting to see how the champion approaches this fight. This test will be what intrigues boxing fans and could usurp the main event.
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Alexis Espino vs Ashton Sykes (super-middleweight)
The undefeated Alexis Espino will put his skills to the test against Ashton Sykes, who edges over him a bit in terms of experience. Ever since his debut, Espino has created magic inside the ring. He just has 6 wins on his resume, but 4 of them have arrived with T/KO.
He is an unstoppable force, promising to have a bright future in the stacked 168-pound division.
On the flip side, his opponent Sykes possesses an unprecedented ring IQ. The 31-year-old has the audacity to turn the tide in his favor anywhere in the fight. With a 5-3 pro-record, he will present a stern challenge to the 21-year-old. The 6-round war between the two is expected to be a sure-shot slugfest and one of the most action-packed fights on this card.
Zhang Zhilei vs. Jerry Forrest (Heavyweight)
Zhilei vs Forrest is undeniably the best clash on this undercard. Here, the undefeated heavyweight stalwart from China, Zhang Zhilei, will battle out another resilient name in the heavyweight roster, Jerry Forrest.
The ‘Big Bang’ Zhang is coming into this fight with a massive KO finish in his last fight. Out of his 22 wins, 17 have arrived with astonishing KOs. Moving into this fight, he will look to add his 23rd win and 18th through knockout.
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On the other side, Forrest is coming off a loss against Carlos Takam. Hence, he will be looking to secure a career-changing win at the Hard Rock Stadium. If he bags a win in this bout, a ticket to top-10 heavyweights might not be far. ‘Slugger’ has a 26-4 record, and his hunger for a win is proof that this battle will stay true to fans’ expectations.
Out of all the aforementioned fights, which one are you eagerly waiting for? Who do you think will come out on top in all these fights?