If you're a hardcore boxing fan you may not appreciate the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor bout, but the recently announced undercard is worthy of respect. There's a possibility we could see a few more boxing fans decide to buy the card.
Here's a list of the four fights that will be televised ahead of the main event.
- Gervonta Davis vs. Francisco Fonseca
- WBA Light Heavyweight Champion: Nathan Cleverly vs. Badou Jack
- Shawn Porter vs. Thomas Dulorme
- Andrew Tabiti vs. Steve Cunningham
This list of undercard fights could have been more appealing if IBF super featherweight champion wasn't being fed a soft touch like Francisco Fonseca (19-0-1, 13 KO). Davis is a budding superstar, but beating up Fonseca won't gain him many fans.
Fonseca is undefeated, but he has only had one fight scheduled for more than eight rounds in his career.
He's also never faced anyone close to Davis' level. It should be a showcase for Davis and that's not exactly the ideal fight you want to be placed just one step behind the main event.
Aside from that, the other bouts are intriguing. Former welterweight champion Shawn Porter (27-2-1, 17 KO) will take on Thomas Dulorme (24-2, 16 KO) in an important clash. Porter is trying to reposition himself for another shot at a title at 147 pounds. Dulorme was once thought to be a fighter headed toward championship glory, but stoppage losses to Luis Carlos Abregu and Terence Crawford derailed those goals.
A win over Porter would equate to a major resurgence.
Powerful and unbeaten cruiserweight Andrew Tabiti (14-0, 12 KO) takes on one of the best 190-pound champions the sport has seen in former titleholder Steve Cunningham (29-8-1, 13 KO). The latter is 41 years old and past his prime, but it'll be interesting to see if he is capable of pushing Tabiti in one of the first tests in his professional career.
The best fight on the card is a light heavyweight title bout between WBA champion Nathan Cleverly (30-3, 16 KO) and former WBA super middleweight titleholder Badou Jack (21-1-2, 12 KO). Jack is moving up to light heavyweight coming off a majority draw with WBC champ James DeGale.
He vacated the title at 168 pounds to pursue similar glory at 175. Cleverly won his title after stopping long-time champion Juergen Braehmer in October 2016. This will be his first defense. Don't be surprised if this is the best fight of the night.
Unfortunately, neither Jack or Cleverly have the appeal stateside to put fans in seats or in front of their televisions and monitors like Mayweather and McGregor. Maybe those who are there only for Mayweather and McGregor will take in an unexpected treat when these two light heavyweights collide.
