Via Huck Allen: WBA ‘regular’ young middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (28-3-3, 16 KOs) will compete next month to defend his title against veteran Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan (31). -4, 21 KO) in a 12-round tie-in match on cards Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero on Showtime PPV at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Davis-Rolly event begins at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Not sure why 39-year-old Lara was ranked against a non-middleweight opponent, 37-year-old O’Sullivan.
As long as the World Boxing Association is fine with talented Cuban Lara defending her 154 lb sub-title against second-tier fighters like O’Sullivan, all is well.
Lara will defend the 154-lb ‘regular’ WBA title he won a year ago with a first-round knockout win Thomas LaManna in May 2021 in Carson, California.
For Lara, this is his second time becoming a 154-lb WBA champion after previously holding that title from 2014 to 2018, losing the title to Jarrett Hurt in a 12th split decider. in a fierce battle.
“Erislandy Lara, a highly skilled champion who has been involved in many exciting fights, will have everything he can against Gary O’Sullivan, who has never backed down in the boxing ring. ,” said Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe.
Lara managed to retain her WBA title in March 2019, pitting Brian Castano for a questionable 12-round draw in a match that could go either way.
Despite being 39 years old, Lara is still fighting at a high level, seeming to be in her late 20s or early 30s rather than a guy in his 40s. Like his Cuban colleague Luis ‘King Kong’ Ortiz, Lara is strode through the decades. , not affected by age like normal warriors.
It would have been nicer to see Lara versus Israil Madrimov, Charles Conwell, Tim Tszyu, Sebastian Fundora or Erickson Lubin.
Renowned Irish boxer O’Sullivan is about to take a year off from beating Nodar Robakidze by six-point decision last year in June 2021
Before that, O’Sullivan lost Jaime Munguia by an 11th round knockout in January 2020 in an exciting fight that saw both boxers injured in San Antonio, Texas.
O’Sullivan’s three other losses all belonged to these boxers: David Lemieux, Chris Eubank Jr. and Billy Joe Saunders.
In addition to O’Sullivan’s first-round loss to Lemieux in September 2018 in Las Vegas, he has competed in his other three losses.
O’Sullivan’s best wins:
- Antoine Douglas
- Khairy Gray
- Milton Nunez
- Matthew Hall
- Anthony Fitzgerald
