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WBC World Heavyweight Championship: Deontay Wilder (c) (36-0) vs. Chris Arreola (36-4-1)

Luke Irwin: Arreola is a late fill-in for a much more appetizing bout between Wilder and Alexander Povetkin, so we’re already coming in disappointed. Listen, you know by now what you’re getting with Chris Arreola. He’s a good, but not great heavyweight, who couldn’t grab a world title even in the extremely shallow days of heavyweight boxing from a few years ago. Now that the heavyweights are on the rise, Arreola’s window is just about shut and this could be his last chance. He isn’t Wilder and he can get beat up as a fight drags on. Wilder will press him until the ref or his corner has seen enough. Wilder via R7 TKO.

Nolan Howell: A letdown in matchmaking here, but what can you really do with the temporary logjam at heavyweight these days? There’s nothing here that can Arreola surprise Wilder with, except maybe durability. Wilder keeps him at range and drops the boom on him early, hopefully moving on to the likes of a Joshua or a Fury sometime in the near future. Deontay Wilder by fourth-round KO.

 
Welterweight Bout: Felix Diaz (17-1) vs. Sammy Vasquez (21-0)

Luke: Vasquez is on a tremendous roll and has a ton of momentum behind him. PBC is clearly positioning him to be a new superstar for them. Vasquez via R5 TKO.

Nolan: Diaz met his ceiling last fight against Peterson and he seems to have reached the veteran feeder role. Vasquez can provide some fireworks and he will come out swinging here. Diaz is durable, but this seems like a trampoline fight for Vasquez to start taking on some of the more notable names at welterweight if he doesn’t fall into a trap here. Sammy Vasquez by unanimous decision.

Welterweight Bout: Jamal James (19-0) vs. Wale Omotoso (26-2)

Luke: Tough call here. Omotoso’s only losses were when Jessie Vargas and Sammy Vasquez were on the way up, and I don’t think Jamal James is nearly as good as either of them. It’s going to be much closer than some think, but I think Omotoso squeaks by. Omotoso via SD.