By: William Holmes
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are set to face off in the biggest fight of the 21st century on May 2nd, 2015 and the untelevised undercard is loaded with high ceiling prospects that have the potential to be world champions. Some of the best fighters from both Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Promotions will look for impressive victories to help further the value of their name.
However, most of the listed bouts appear to be mismatches and it will be surprising if any of the favored fighters lose.
Four fights are slated for the untelevised undercard, and the following is a preview of all four bouts.
Brad Solomon (24-0) vs. Adrian Granados (13-3-2); Welterweights
Brad Solomon is promoted by Top Rank and he has had an impressive amateur career. He won the National Golden Gloves three times and turned pro in 2008. His opponent, Adrian Granados, also had a decent amateur career as he won Junior Golden Gloves National Championships and was a reserve of the Mexican Olympic Team.
Solomon is thirty-one and Granados is six years his junior, but Solomon will have a two-inch height advantage on his opponent.
Granados does have a higher knockout ratio than Solomon, as nine of his thirteen victories have come by way of stoppage, while Solomon only has nine stoppages out of his twenty-four victories.
Solomon has the more impressive professional resume as he has defeated the likes of Freddy Hernandez, Demetrius Hopkins, and Pablo Vasquez.
Granados has lost to Felix Diaz, Frankie Gomez, and Jose Juan Fuentes and his only semi-impressive victory was over Mark Salser in 2013. Granados did draw with Kermit Cintron and Lanardo Tyner.
The opening bout of the night should go the distance with Solomon having his hand raised at the end.
Andrew Tabiti (9-0) vs. Anthony Caputo Smith (15-4); Cruiserweights
Andrew Tabiti is considered by Floyd Mayweather Sr. to be the best prospect he currently trains that does not hold a world title.
He has a 100% knockout ratio and no opponent has made it past the sixth round.
Tabiti is five years younger than Caputo Smith and is in better physical shape. Tabiti has a brief amateur career, but neither Tabiti nor Smith achieved any notable amateur accolades.
Anthony Caputo Smith has decent power as he has stopped ten of his opponent, but his defense is lacking, and three of his losses have come by way of
knockout. Smith has also gone 2-4 in his last six fights and they include losses to Sean Monaghan, BJ Flores, and Ola Afolabi.
Tabiti has yet to face any significant opposition, but Caputo Smith is a tough veteran that has been in the ring with some quality opposition. However, Smith can be considered “enhancement” talent, in which he has a decent record but is expected to lose against quality opposition.
Taibiti should score his tenth straight knockout on Saturday.
Jesse Hart (16-0) vs. Mike Jimenez (17-0); Super Middleweights
On paper this looks like the best bout of the night, but it’s a fight that Jesse Hart should win.
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Both fighters are undefeated with a high knockout ratio. Hart has the slight edge in power as he has stopped thirteen of his opponents, including
three straight knockouts. Jimenez has eleven knockouts, but has only stopped one of his past four opponents.
Hart had an impressive amateur career as he won the National Golden Gloves Championships as well as the US National Championships. Jimenez did not have the amateur success of Jesse Hart.
Hart is considered by many to be the best prospect out of Philadelphia and for good reason. He has punishing power and looks to please the fans by going for the knockout. He has defeated the likes of Roberto Acevedo, Samuel Miller, and Derrick Findley.
Jimenez’s only notable victory came against Kevin Engel.
Hart should win against Jimenez and hopefully set himself up for a bigger fight against a well known opponent in the near future.
Chris Pearson (11-0) vs. Said El Harrak (12-2); Junior Middleweights
Chris Pearson is another Mayweather Promotions prospect that many in the boxing industry are high on. He had a very successful amateur career and was a US National Amateur Middleweight Champion as well as a National PAL Champion.
El Harrak has fought as low as 144lbs and does not have the amateur pedigree of Pearson. He also doesn’t have the power as Pearson has stopped nine of his opponents while El Harrak has stopped seven.
El Harrak will have a slight height and reach advantage and both boxers are in the middle of their athletic prime. El Harrak is twenty-seven and Pearson is twenty-four.
Pearson struggled in his bout against Lanardo Tyner, which he originally won by split decision but was later changed to a no contest after he tested positive for marijuana. That was the only bout in which Pearson was tested as a professional. He has also defeated the likes of Steve Martinez and Acacio Joao Ferreira as a professional.
El Harrak’s losses have come to Lanard Lane and Jesus Soto Karass. He has no notable victories on his resume, and his best mark being a draw against Luis Grajeda.
Pearson should win easily against the smaller and less polished El Harrak.