Top Rank PPV (Undercard)

Oscar Valdez vs. Hiroshige Osawa

When you're a young champion getting to fight on a high profile card is a blessing.  It not only helps raise your national profile but it can also earn you many new fans.  This Saturday Oscar Valdez, a young undefeated fighter, will have that chance when he fills the co-feature slot on the Top Rank pay-per-view card headlined by a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas.  Valdez will take on Japanese fighter Hiroshige Osawa and their fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds with Valdez's WBO featherweight title on the line.  

Valdez is both undefeated and very exciting

Valdez fights out of the orthodox stance and he has very heavy hands, especially for such a small fighter.  Offensively there doesn't seem to be anything that Valdez can't do, and do at a high level.  His jab not only helps his set up his power punches but is also a good punch on its own.  Along with that jab the young Valdez also has a very good left hook and a big right hand.  However, his best punch is probably the left hook to the body and for such a young fighter he does a tremendous job of always attacking the body.  Defensively Valdez has been solid but for him offense seems like the best defense and it seems like the sky is the limit for this 25-year-old.

Although Valdez does hold a WBO featherweight title he is still viewed as somewhat of a prospect because he is so young and still relatively untested.  His best opponent to date was Evgeny Gradovich who he fought in early 2016 and stopped in the fourth round.  Outside of Gradovich, Valdez has beaten a few other name opponents but no one considered elite.  His career record is a perfect 20-0 with a very impressive 18 knockouts and what is scary is the fact that Valdez seems to get better with each fight.  On Saturday he will take on the unknown Osawa and if he wins that fight Valdez could be gunning for some of the names at the very top of the featherweight division.

Saturday will be Osawa's first fight in the U.S.

Osawa also fights out of the orthodox stance but he lacks the top end power that Valdez is known for.  Like many other Japanese fighters Osawa likes to work from the inside and he uses a decent jab and head movement to get there.  Osawa's best work comes when he lets go of his right hand but that same effectiveness isn't found with his left hand.  The left hand of Osawa can be wild and his left hook doesn't do much damage.  Like Valdez, Osawa puts in good work to the body but because he lacks serious power those body shots don't have the same impact that Valdez's do.

On Saturday Osawa will find himself he's never been before, a boxing ring in the United States.  Osawa has 37 career fights and 36 of them have come in has native Japan with the other fight taking place in the Philippines.  His career record stands at 30-3-4 with 19 knockouts and he has been knocked out once himself.  Unfortunately Osawa has never fought an elite opponent despite fighting professionally since 2004.  If Osawa were to beat Valdez it would be the biggest win of his career and could change the course of his career going forward.

Without disrespecting Osawa, this fight is all about Valdez.  He is one of the most exciting young fighters in the sport and seems to be poised for great things.  Osawa likes to fight on the inside and mix things up but in this fight that could be a dangerous way to fight.  Valdez not only has more power but he also has faster hands and is the more accurate puncher.  Osawa may be better served changing his style and sticking and moving in an attempt to frustrate Valdez.  Yet if Valdez is as good as people think he is he shouldn't have too difficult of a time come Saturday night.

PREDICTION: Oscar Valdez is a stud on the rise and despite being six years younger than Hiroshige Osawa he has probably fought the better opposition.  That factored in with Valdez's superior speed and power will all add up to a sixth round stoppage win for Valdez.

Nonito Donaire vs. Jessie Magdaleno

Perhaps the best fight on Saturday's Top Rank pay-per-view card will be the second fight of the night between Nonito Donaire and Jessie Magdaleno.  Donaire is a veteran who in 2012 was named Big Time Boxing's Fighter of the Year and he should provide the perfect test for young, undefeated prospect Jessie Magdaleno.  The two fighters, both in very different places in their careers, are scheduled to go 12 rounds for Donaire's WBO junior featherweight title.

Since 2012 Donaire has been exciting yet flawed

Donaire was once one of the best fighters in the sport.  He had a mix of power and speed that doesn't come around that often and those attributes allowed him to either knockout or outbox many of his opponents.  Donaire, now 33 years old, fights out of the orthodox stance and even if he has fallen off a bit he is still one of the best junior featherweights in the sport.  "The Filipino Flash" has a sniper-like jab and a monster right hand.  That right hand is his most dangerous punch but he also has a strong left hook.  The big question for Donaire going into this bout is just how much does he have left?

In 2012 Donaire was the Fighter of the Year but things went off the rails when he stepped in to face the criminally underrated Guillermo Rigondeaux.  That fight came in 2013 and Rigondeaux easily handled Donaire who hasn't really been the same since.  Following that loss Donaire won two fights, including a knockout of Vic Darchinyan.  Then Donaire took on Nicholas Walters who dropped him twice before stopping him in the sixth round in brutal fashion.  Since that loss Donaire has gone 4-0 with three knockouts while facing average opposition.  However, recently even Cesar Juarez seemed to give Donaire all he could handle.  As it stands now Donaire's career record is 37-3 with an impressive 24 knockouts and against Magdaleno he will be playing the role of measuring stick.

This will be a big test for Magdaleno

Magdaleno is a southpaw and actually shows flashes on Donaire in the way he fights.  Magdaleno likes to fight with his lead hand low and is light and quick on his feet.  He likes to use his jab as a measuring stick for his straight left hand and he also has a nice right hook.  One reason Magdaleno is able to find success is because he can get in and out of the pocket so quickly.  At times Magdaleno will stay in the pocket and let his hands go and then he is dancing out of danger on the outside.  However, Donaire will be far and away Magdaleno's best opponent and there is no telling how he will handle that test.

Despite his perfect record and impressive performances Magdaleno doesn't get talked about as much as some of the other top prospects.  His record is 23-0 with a strong 17 knockouts however, he hasn't faced many notable opponents.  Against Donaire, Magdaleno won't only be facing his best opponent to date but also a fighter who he has a very similar style to.

This fight looks promising on paper and should be a lot of fun in the ring.  Donaire was once at the top of the sport but has fallen off in recent years.  Just how far he has fallen though remains to be seen and he may have enough left to handle Magdaleno.  As for Magdaleno, he has never faced anyone of Donaire's caliber but he is younger and he has never tasted defeat which usually makes for a very confident fighter.  If Magdaleno wins on Saturday it would be by far the biggest win of his career but if Donaire wins he could get another shot at Rigondeaux.

PREDICTION: Nonito Donaire may be the best fighter Jessie Magdaleno has been in the ring with but he has also had a tough time with lesser fighters in recent bouts.  If Jessie Magdaleno rises to the occasion he should be able to outwork Donaire on his way to a close split decision victory, the biggest of his young career.

Zou Shiming vs. Prasitsak Papoem

If there is one fight to miss on Saturday's pay-per-view it is without a doubt the opening bout.  That fight will pit Zou Shiming against Prasitsak Papoem in a rematch of their 2014 fight, a rematch no fans asked for.  While Shiming is a star in China because of his prolific amateur career he hasn't looked great as a professional and U.S. fans have mostly turned their back on him following numerous boring performances on high profile cards.  On Saturday Shiming and Papoem are scheduled to fight 12 rounds for a vacant WBO flyweight title.

Shiming's professional career hasn't been great

Shiming is an orthodox fighter who fights much like Manny Pacquiao, although he isn't even close to that level.  Typically Shiming fights in constant motion and his head is always on a swivel.  Another thing Shiming loves to do is feint, and at times he seems to do more feinting than punching.  Shiming does have a good jab he can control rounds with and his left hook looks good but he lacks any serious power.  Even as a professional, Shiming fights in a very amateurish style that hasn't won him many fans outside of his native China.

Shiming has only been fighting professionally since 2013 and he has put together a record of 8-1 but has only scored two knockouts.  What makes matters worse is the fact that the only top opponent Shiming has ever faced, Amnat Ruenroeng, beat him by the way of unanimous decision.  Simply put, Shiming's professional career has been a disappointment thus far and if he doesn't make things exciting on Saturday he probably won't find himself on television in the U.S. ever again.

Papoem has already lost to Shiming

Papoem is an orthodox fighter with much more power on his punches than Shiming.  Typically Papoem likes to simply stand in front of his opponent and trade heavy leather.  If he gets tagged with a few punches he doesn't seem to mind as long as he can land a few of his own.  While Papoem rarely jabs he does have a nice left hook and a solid right hand to the body.

What makes things difficult for Papoem in this fight is the fact that he has already lost to Shiming.  One advantage he has over Shiming though at least as a professional is experience.  Papoem holds a career record of 39-1-2 with 24 knockouts however, he has faced a lot of sub par opposition.

The first time Shiming and Papoem fought Shiming was too quick for his counterpart.  The movement of Shiming can be frustrating and he was able to frustrate Papoem in their first fight.  This time around things will probably look about the same with Shiming sticking and moving and Papoem trying to stand inside and trade power punches.

PREDICTION: It won't be exciting and it certainly won't be fun to watch but Zou Shiming will once again beat Prasitsak Papoem by the way of unanimous decision.