Matchroom on DAZN: Garcia vs. Vargas Picks

Vacant WBC Diamond Welterweight Championship: Mikey Garcia (39-1) vs. Jessie Vargas (29-2-2)

Luke Irwin: There’s not much bad blood or not much on the line, here, title-wise, or rankings-wise. What is on the line is after that complete egg Garcia laid about Errol Spence, is whether or not he can hang at welterweight, or even bigger, whether his game is still there. If he can’t hang against someone like Vargas, who is extremely game, but nowhere near the natural talent of Garcia, he has to re-evaluate more than one thing about himself. It’s a roll of the dice, here. I’m going to split the difference and say his game isn’t nearly as bad as it was against Spence, but he just doesn’t have the size to really make a difference at welterweight, and Vargas isn’t going to stand around and let him get into a groove. Split-draw.

WBA World Junior Bantamweight Championship: Khalid Yafai (c) (26-0) vs. Roman Gonzalez (48-2)

Luke: Ahhhh “SuperFly”, maybe the most exciting division in boxing. Chocolatito was in the argument for the P4P king before Srisaket Sor Rungvisai stunned him in back-to-back fights, the latter being a knockout, both in 2017. Since then, Gonzalez has been climbing back, and this is his first title challenge since then. Roman is still only 32, and his hands haven’t disappeared, they seem to be there in spades based on his last fight. Yafai isn’t a power puncher, nor does he really punch in bunches. He’ll have the slight size advantage, but if Gonzalez can get inside, he needs to unleash hell. Yafai has wanted this fight for a while, well, it’s here, and time to show if Yafai is the star he wants to be. Gonzalez via R10 KO.

WBC World Flyweight Championship: Julio Cesar Martinez (c) (15-1) vs. Jay Harris (17-0)

Luke: Harris is a secondary IBF champ, but he still feels a little like cannon fodder for Martinez, and not quite world-title level. He’s also never fought outside the UK. Martinez via R7 TKO.

Heavyweight Bout: Joseph Parker (26-2) vs. Shawndell Terell Winters (13-2)

Luke: Absolutely a fight to keep Parker active and relevent, and just outside the title picture. Parker via R4 KO.