Weights: Frampton 121.6, Gonzalez Jr. 121.4; Arreola 246.8, Kassi 225

By Boxing News - 07/17/2015 - Comments

Arreola and Kassi(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) By Scott Gilfoid: IBF super bantamweight champion Carl Frampton (20-0, 14 KOs) made weight on Friday in coming in at 121.6 pounds for his title defense against #13 IBF Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez Jr. (25-1-2, 15 KOs) for their fight on Saturday on Premier Boxing Champions on CBS from the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas. The 22-year-old Gonzalez Jr. weighed in at 121.4lbs, and looked in good shape for the fight.

Frampton is heavily favored to beat the stuffing out of Gonzalez Jr., and I can’t see there being any chance at all of an upset.

As good as some people think Frampton is, you really have to shake your head and wonder why he’s frequently matched up like this. If Frampton is as good as people think he is, then why in the heck isn’t he facing the top fighter in the 122lb division in Guillermo Rigondeaux? I don’t understand it.

Frampton’s manager Barry McGuigan wants no part of a Frampton-Rigondeaux fight, and yet he believes he’s the best fighter in the division. If McGuigan is willing to have him face little known fighters like Gonzalez Jr., who doesn’t have a large fan base, then surely he should be on board with matching Frampton against Rigondeaux, shouldn’t he? I’m just saying.

This is a voluntary defense for the 28-year-old Frampton, and his first fight under adviser Al Haymon. Frampton has signed with Haymon in hopes of becoming a big star in the American market and gets fights against Haymon fighters Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares and Gary Russell Jr.

Former two time heavyweight world title challenger Chris Arreola (36-4, 31 KOs) weighed in at 246lbs and looked in good shape for his 10 round fight against 35-year-old Fred Kassi (18-3, 10 KOs). Kassi weighed in at 225lbs, and will be giving away 21 pounds in weight to Arreola.

It doesn’t matter. This is a mismatch anyway. Arreola is being backed off from quality opposition for this fight in hopes of getting him an impressive win so that he can possibly get a world title shot against WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on September 26th on NBC. I think Arreola will beat Kassi, but I’m not sure if it’s going to be an impressive enough victory for him to get a crack at Deontay Wilder.

Arreola is probably going to need a real impressive stoppage victory over Kassi to get the 6’7” Wilder fight, and I don’t know that Arreola has it in him to beat anyone in an impressive fashion right now unless they drag out Seth Mitchell for him to fight again. Arreola can destroy someone like that, but I don’t see him doing it to Kassi.

“I am going to go for that title. I’m working and grinding. Training camp has been going very well. I have been in camp for six weeks. The main thing about this fight is my boxing performance,” Arreola said. “I am going to go for that title. I’m working and grinding. Training camp has been going very well. I have been in camp for six weeks. The main thing about this fight is my boxing performance.”



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