March Madness Boxing Weekend Previews and Predictions

March Madness Boxing Weekend Previews and Predictions

by chris carlson
PhilBoxing.com
Saturday, March 30, 2024

A variety of events will be held this weekend from Friday night through Sunday. Boxing has its own version of March Madness, streaming on Amazon and Amazon PPV, ESPN+, DAZN, and Peacock. This article will focus on the Tim Tzu vs. Sebastian Fundora, Oscar Valdez vs. Liam Wilson, Rolando Romero vs. Isaac Cruz, and Seniesa Estrada vs. Jocasta Valle matches.

Let's start with Oscar Valdez returning to the ring on Friday to take on Liam Wilson, who he usually fights. In his last appearance, Valdez was defeated by Emmanuel Navarrete in 12 rounds. Over a year ago, Liam Wilson gave the same fighter a run for his money. Wilson seriously injured Navarrete, but was unable to finish the match. Wilson would ultimately be stopped in nine rounds. Considering the intense battle dating back to 2016, how much contribution does Valdez have left?

Another thing to think about is what level Liam Smith is actually at. That's a fair question considering how mediocre he was against John Jackson last December. Don't get me wrong, Smith was impressive as he got his revenge by knocking out Joe Noynei along with a solid win over Carlos Rueda. The boxing podcaster believes Liam Smith got out of this moment with a serious injury to Navarrete, making us think he's better than he really is. Valdez gets a “W” unless it's damaged goods. However, like the theme of this weekend as a whole, it's going to be a lot of fun.

My official prediction is unanimously Oscar Valdez.

Tim Tzu cemented his place in American boxing fans last year by knocking out Tony Harrison and defeating Brian Mendoza. Until then, he still had doubts, and in fact on Saturday night many members of the media supported his opponent. Before Brian Mendoza's shock, many in the boxing world thought Sebastian Fundora should take on lineal champion Jermell Charlo. You see, boxing has a motto of “What have you done for me lately?” and now Fundora is the clear underdog.

Tim should be the favorite to win, but technically he's not as good as Keith Thurman. The first few rounds are crucial for “Towering Inferno” as Tim's patient combination starts the fight and takes time to get used to Fundra's height and style. We can assume that Fundora will try to make Tszyu very uncomfortable and will put pressure on him from the beginning. He chokes Tim, making him completely immune to the punches he throws, at least at first.

Look for Tim to cut down trees by attacking the body and using jabs to slow Fundora down. It was smart of Tim to bring in a tall sparring partner, but was there enough effort to come up with a concrete game plan? After some trouble early on, look for a more accurate, straight puncher with good hand speed that you can separate as the round progresses. Most people are calling for a knockout, and I understand that sentiment, but there's real value in betting on Tim Tzu by decision. The most likely outcome is mid-to-late arrest.

My official prediction is unanimously Tim Tzu.

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Another interesting scrap is Laurie Romero vs. Pitbull Cruz. Cruz plans to bury his head in Lowry's chest and land powerful punches to the head and body. Cruise's overhand shot comes from an ambiguous angle. The real question here is whether Lowry's jabs, uppercuts, and body punches can slow Pitbull down. Rolando will need to use his 5-inch reach advantage instead of creating a brawl early on. This will be a two-way battle filled with drama, action, and of course some awkward and ugly moments. The betting line calls for a KO, but if you believe otherwise, a decision on either fighter is worth very high.

My official prediction is Pitbull Cruise with a late stop.

The undisputed match between Seniesa Estrada and Jocasta Valle is more of a pick match in the betting books. Valle sits as a live dog in the +138 to +175 range. Valle has two losses, but he also lost in 2017 and 2018. Estrada hasn't tasted defeat yet. For this boxing junkie, it's understandable why there's so much anticipation for this matchup, but I think Seniesa will win pretty cleanly. In my humble opinion, Estrada's skills put her on another level, but we'll see if I'm wrong later.

My official prediction is unanimously that it will be Seniesa Estrada.

Side note: Also check out Garcia vs. Davis, Martinez vs. Cordova, and Wardley vs. Clark on Sunday. This weekend's fight could be Bohachuk vs. Mendoza.

By Chris Carlson Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Available at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperradio Follow us on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio

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