Despite no high-profile events taking place in England this weekend, it's a different story on the other side of the pond as California and Las Vegas stage two significant bouts in the super-middleweight and welterweight divisions.
In Oakland, WBA champion Andre Ward makes his first appearance in 19 months against British fighter Paul Smith, while at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, former 147lbs title holders Adrien Broner and Shawn Porter do battle as they attempt to put themselves in contention for another shot at a world title later in 2015.
Below, Sports Mole takes a look at both bouts and attempts to predict who will prevail from each contest.
1. Andre Ward vs. Paul Smith
After suffering back-to-back defeats to WBO champion Arthur Abraham, Paul Smith may have believed that opportunities to compete at the top end of the division would be few and far between, but his performances in Germany not only caught the eye of the British public, but arguably the second best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
A contract dispute has kept Andre Ward on the sidelines since his routine win over Edwin Rodriguez in November 2013, but after signing with Roc Nation, the undefeated American is ready to remind the world of the ability that has taken him to victories over the likes of Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler and Chad Dawson. The 31-year-old is often criticised for the lack of excitement that he brings to a boxing ring, but there's no doubting his talent and he would be favourite to win any fight in the sport, aside from against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
That's the size of the task that is facing Smith this weekend, but the Liverpudlian has no issue with being the heavy underdog on Saturday night. Many have questioned whether Smith deserves the opportunity to take on Ward, or whether it's beneficial to his career with the odds completely stacked against him. However, accepting Ward's offer was a no-brainer for Smith, who has previously revealed that only competing against the best will keep him in the sport.
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Smith has also acknowledged that he is aware of why he has been brought in to face Ward on his return to the ring. The Californian native is in need of rounds and the chance to shake off any ring rust, while he will also have ambitions of making a statement against a man who has fought for a world title in his last two bouts, one of which he was unfortunate to suffer defeat. Some believe that Ward will be content with winning on points, but this is also his opening to show that he can bring entertainment under the Roc Nation name.
Ward is gifted in all aspects of boxing, but during the early rounds, Smith may have a small window of opportunity should his opponent look to cause an early finish. Smith accepts that Ward is superior to him in many departments, but it may only take one shot from Smith to create extra interest in this encounter.
Something which won't aid Smith's cause is the catchweight of 172lbs. Smith has never competed above 168lbs, while Ward is a likely mover to light-heavyweight at some stage in his career. This fight may be a decent indicator of the power that the American carries at the bigger weight, and if it quickly becomes apparent that he has taken to the increase on the scales, Smith could find himself in for a hard night.
2. Adrien Broner vs. Shawn Porter
Over the past two years, both Adrien Broner and Shawn Porter have been described as possible heirs to Mayweather's throne, but with the two Americans having suffered one defeat apiece and Mayweather continuing to prove that he is one of the greatest that the sport has ever seen, that theory seems some way off. However, a showdown between the two is one of the best bouts that have been made in 2015 and bookmakers have found it impossible to split the two.
Despite being a three-weight world champion, Broner is generally judged on his defeat to Marcos Maidana in December 2013. The 25-year-old proved at super-featherweight and lightweight that he was almost untouchable, but ever since he moved to 140lbs and above, he has shown chinks in his armour. Whether that is down to complacency or a lack of punch power in a higher weight class is something that will be discovered on Saturday night.
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Maidana and Porter possess similar reckless, come-forward styles, and if either land, they have every chance of securing a stoppage. Broner proved against Maidana that he has a chin, but he also needs to prove that he has the versatility and discipline to deserve to be regarded as one of the best competitors in the sport. Throughout 2014 and the early part of 2015, he has been protected against limited fighters, and Saturday night is his chance to show that he can perform against one of the best at welterweight.
That said, Porter has only competed once since he lost his IBF title to Kell Brook last summer and like Broner, he requires a performance to reinvigorate his career at the very top. Against Brook, his aggression only got him so far, and with Broner possessing the same counter-attacking skills that Brook used to his advantage, it will be intriguing to see whether Porter is more varied with his approach or if he will retain faith in trying to out-muscle and pressurise Broner.
This has all the makings of an excellent fight, but much may depend on Broner. If he's performing at his very best, Porter may be too limited to enjoy a lot of success, but if Broner hasn't learned from his undoing against Maidana, a clean shot from Porter could end it before the final bell.
Darren Plant
