09/26/2024
The most important job of a boxing promoter is to generate buzz for their event before it happens. Fighters are generally paid for how many butts they put in the seats, not for what they do in the ring. If no one watches an event, the performance in the ring makes very little impact.
It’s like the old expression “If a tree falls in the woods, but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”
The pre-fight grade for a boxing card tells you what kind of buzz and effect on the future of boxing the event will have.
On Friday, September 27, live from the Theater at Madison Square Garden, Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan headline a star-studded Top Rank on ESPN card.
The EzRaw Report Card gives you the Brunch Boxing perspective on how these cards stack up on paper.
Sandy Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KOs) vs. Mikaela Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs)
(Photo Credit: Top Rank)
In the main event of the evening, Sandy Ryan defends her WBO Welterweight Championship against Mikaela Mayer in a fight between two top level talents in women’s boxing. While Ryan has come into her own, Mayer has been in very close, competitive fights with the likes of Natasha Jonas and Alycia Baumgardner. This fight has a lot of talent in the ring and women’s fights at this level have been delivering pretty consistently.
Fight Notes:
Good talent
Competitive Matchup
Low buzz
Pre-Fight Grade: B-
(Photo Credit: Top Rank)
Bruce Carrington (12-0, 8 KOs) vs. Sulaiman Segawa (17-4-1, 6 KOs)
(Photo Credit: Top Rank)
A game of musical chairs is being played at featherweight. Fighters are competing to grab a belt, in anticipation of the arrival of “The Monster” Naoya Inoue in 2025. Bruce Carrington appears to be the guy that Top Rank has identified as the man when the music stops. They seem to think that he can generate a lot of buzz in a potential Inoue fight. Still, he will need to get ahold of a belt to set that fight up. Getting through a tough Segawa might put him in a title fight.
Coming off the best win of his career, in a bout Ruben Villa, Segawa will has a newfound confidence. A win over Carrington is his best chance to enter his name as a serious title contender at 126.
Fight Notes:
Solid test
Inoue storyline
Low buzz
Pre-Fight Grade: C+
(Photo Credit: Top Rank)
Xander Zayas (19-0, 12 KOs) vs. Damian Sosa (25-2, 12 KOs)
(Photo Credit: Top Rank)
Zayas has lost a lot of momentum and buzz. His performances have not been as eye catching lately. His opponents have not been very creative either and not a lot has changed when it comes to this opponent. Damian Sosa could be a tough out but their is zero buzz for this match up. People are expecting Zayas to win so any struggle will only hurt the young fighters stock.
Fight Notes:
No name opponent
No storyline
No buzz
Pre-Fight Grade: F
(Photo Credit: Top Rank)
Final Thoughts:
Solid Main-event and another key step in the career of Bruce Carrington. The card lacks name power and the Zayas fight brings nothing to the table.
Overall Pre-Fight Event Grade: D
The Rest of the Card:
Vito Mielnicki Jr. (19-1, 12 KOs) vs. Khalil El Harraz (16-5-1, 2 KOs), 10 rounds, junior middleweight
Floyd Diaz (12-0, 3 KOs) vs. Mario Hernandez (12-4-1, 4 KOs), 8 rounds, bantamweight
Elvis Rodriguez (16-1-1, 13 KOs) vs. Kendo Castañeda (21-6, 9 KOs), 10 rounds, junior welterweight
Tiger Johnson (13-0, 6 KOs) vs. Yomar Alamo (22-2-1, 13 KOs), 8 rounds, junior welterweight
Rohan Polanco (13-0, 8 KOs) vs. Marcelino Lopez (37-4-1, 22 KOs), 10 rounds, junior welterweight
(Photo Credit: Top Rank)
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