5/30 – Francesco Pianeta (29-1-1, 16 KO’s) vs. Mickael Vieira (14-3-1, 7 KO’s) – Energie Verbund-Arena, Dresden, Sachsen, Germany
In his second contest back since Wlad stopped him a year ago, Pianeta looks to add to his German International heavyweight title when he faces Vieira, who makes his 12 round debut, for the vacant WBO European heavyweight title. In December he stopped Robert Teuber in two rounds.
5/30 – Rakhim Chakhkiev (18-1, 14 KO’s) vs. Santander Silgado (25-1, 20 KO’s) – Luzhniki, Moscow, Russia
Chakhkiev has won twice since being KO’d by Krzysztof Wlodarczyk last year. He defends his newly won WBC Silver cruiserweight title on the under card of Povetkin-Charr against the current WBC Latino and FECARBOX cruiserweight champ Silgado, whose one loss came to Denis Lebdev by KO in 2012.
5/31 – Vic Darchinyan (39-6-1, 28 KO’s) vs. Nicholas Walters (23-0, 19 KO’s) – Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China
The Raging Bull gets a shot at the WBA World featherweight title Saturday in his first fight back since taking a disappointing knockout loss to Nonito Donaire (his second) in November. The former three division world champ and current NABF super bantamweight title holder meets current WBA featherweight champ Walters, who has held the strap since stopping Daulis Prescott in 2012. He scored a KO in his one defense last November; a fourth round TKO over Alberto Garza.
5/31 – Evgeny Gradovich (18-0, 9 KO’s) vs. Alexander Miskirtchian (24-2-1, 9 KO’s) – Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China
Gradovich scored a close, split decision over Billy Dib in March of 2013 to secure the IBF featherweight title. After beating Mauricio Munoz four months later, he convincingly beat Dib a second time, stopping him in nine rounds. Miskirtchian has fought primarily in Belgium, and comes in on an 11 fight winning streak with six knockouts. He’s the current EBU featherweight champ, but this is his first shot at a world title.
5/31 – Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (27-3-1, 25 KO’s) vs. Carlos Cuadras (29-0, 24 KO’s) – Sala de Armas Agustín Melgar, Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca, Iztacalco, Distrito Federal, Mexico
This look like a sluggers match up, on paper anyway. Sor Rungvisai won the WBC super-flyweight championship a year ago, and has fought eight times since but only one having been a title defense. Since his title winning effort over Yota Sato, his opposition leaves much to be desired. Cuadros is the WBC Silver super flyweight title holder who’s fought various levels of opponents, though no one name really sticks out.
5/31 – Marcin Rekowski (14-1, 11 KO’s) vs. Albert Sosnowski (48-6-2, 29 KO’s) – Lublin, Poland
Rekowski gets a mention for beating the 49 year old Oliver McCall in April, avenging a February defeat by the “Atomic Bull” (he also beat McCall’s son Elijah a year ago). Sosnowksi is a “win some, lose some” caliber fighter but is usually in against recognizable opposition. In 2010 he lasted 10 rounds before Vitali Klitschko knocked him out in a WBC title bout.
5/31 – Anthony Joshua (5-0, 5 KO’s) vs. Matt Legg (7-2, 3 KO’s) – Wembley Stadium, Wembley, London, United Kingdom
The British Olympian fights for the third time this year on the under card of what could be the U.K.’s biggest fight of 2014. Legg’s claim to fame: getting stopped by James Toney in last year’s Prizefighter tournament.
5/31 – Hank Lundy (24-3-1, 11 KO’s) vs. Gerardo Cuevas (17-11, 15 KO’s) – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA
Lundy continues his climb back after taking back to back defeats in 2012-2013. The former NABF lightweight champ has won twice since, both times over opponents that only beaten once prior. There isn’t much to Cuevas; with just a handful of wins since 2007, he’s been stopped in all 11 of his losses.
5/31 – Cosme Rivera (36-18-3, 24 KO’s) vs. Ty Barnett (22-3-1, 14 KO’s) – Convention Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Rivera is still at it. The former world title challenger and regional light welterweight champ hit a rough patch over the last 18 months, losing four straight and getting stopped three times. In February he won an eight rounder in Mexico. Barnett comes in off two wins but has been stopped in all three of his losses.
6/1 – Patrick Nielsen (22-0, 11 KO’s) vs. Dmitry Chudinov (12-0-2, 8 KO’s) – Arena Mytishchi, Mytishchi, Russia
An interesting matchup between undefeated middleweights; Nielsen is a regular headliner on Nordic Fight Night cards and the current holder of the WBA and WBO Intercontinental and WBC Silver middleweight titles. He stays busy, fighting four or five times a year. Chudinov is the interim WBA World middleweight champion, stopping Juan Camilo Novoa in December to win the belt. Both fighters have been gradually increasing their level of opposition, and they’re each the best opponent on each other’s record right now.
6/4 – The “SUPER 8” at the Trusts Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
A Prizefighter style tournament hosts some familiar names to heavyweight fans. Opening matchups so far include: Hasim Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KO’s) vs. Anthony Nansen (3-2, 1 KO), Martin Rogan (16-5, 8 KO’s) vs. Michael Sprott (40-21, 17 KO’s), Kali Meehan (38-5, 31 KO’s) vs. Hunter Sam (10-2-2, 4 KO’s), Alonzo Butler (30-2-1, 22 KO’s) vs. Brice Ritani-Coe (3-2-1, 3 KO’s), and a host of scheduled TBA vs TBA bouts to be filled in.
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