HBO Boxing After Dark Picks

WBO World Junior Lightweight Championship: Roman Martinez (c) (29-2-3) vs. Vasyl Lomachenko (5-1)

Luke Irwin: Lomachenko’s technical brilliance will be on full display here. I think he’s way too high of a favorite, and although I think he wins, Rocky Martinez isn’t going to give him an easy path to it. He’ll drag him into a firefight like his previous opponent Orlando Salido did, but I think Loma learned from his experience with Salido. Lomachenko via UD.

Nolan Howell: Martinez is a step up after the Lomachenko camp redid their strategy and gave the amateur great a few showcase wins before throwing him back in with the sharks. Martinez has a belt and is competent enough to challenge Lomachenko, but it is also a very winnable fight to give Lomachenko a little taste of the of upper echelon of super featherweight. Lomachenko faces some adversity early as he takes a few rounds to figure Martinez out, then dissects accordingly. Vasyl Lomachenko by unanimous decision.

WBO Latino Lightweight Championship: Felix Verdejo (c) (21-0) vs. Juan Jose Martinez (25-2)

Luke: Verdejo should have a long, successful career ahead of him, and the 23-year old will have a stiff test, maybe the toughest of his career, but should get by with a slim decision. Verdejo via SD.

Nolan: Verdejo is simply the crowd-pleaser main card victory here for the Puerto Rican fans. Felix Verdejo by unanimous decision.

Flyweight Bout: Jozsef Ajtai (15-2) vs. Zou Shiming (7-1)

Luke: Rare that Shiming leaves the comfort of the Orient, but he shouldn’t have too much trouble here, sailing to a wide decision win. Shiming via UD.