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Boots vs. Chukhadzhian 2 Preview

One of the first questions many fans will have when thinking about the rematch between Boots and Chukhadzhian is: why are they fighting again?

Boots, 27, won a one-sided unanimous decision over Chukhadzhian in January 2023. While it wasn’t Boots’ most impressive performance, as he tried to make the fight a showcase against the tough Ukrainian, it didn’t look like a bout that called for a rematch.

During an exclusive interview a few weeks ago, I asked Boots about this and he explained the decision. The rematch with Chukhadzhian is about retaining the IBF title. Chukhadzhian worked his way up to becoming Boots’ mandatory challenger in the IBF. Regardless of the outcome of their first meeting, the champion had to take the fight to satisfy the governing body.

Here’s a look at the interview.

The Boots won the first meeting 120-108 on all three judges’ cards. In return, Boots told me he would be looking to improve his performance by taking the ban.

He has pursued big fights with current and former champions such as Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter, but Boots has instead had to take a longer route to the top.

Since he is fighting in a relatively dead period for the lightweight division, he has expressed his willingness to move up to 154 kilograms, where he has much more opportunities against the more prominent names. This topic is secondary this week as the focus should be on Chukhadzhian.

The 30-year-old has won three matches in a row since losing to Boots last year. He seems determined to do things differently in the rematch. He is playing with house money in this fight. The results won’t surprise anyone if he dominates and Chukhadzhian’s stock won’t take a big hit.

If he performs better or pulls off the upset, he becomes a breakout star to close out the year.

Rodriguez vs. Guevara Preview

Rodriguez, 24, is on a short list of dynamic fighters in the lower weight classes building a strong following and emerging as a star in the sport.

Usually, size bias lowers the ceiling of smaller guys, but Bam is breaking through. Saturday’s fight against Guevara comes off the back of an impressive performance by Bam against an all-time great, Juan Francisco Estrada. Bam won by knockout in the seventh round, but faced some difficulties after being knocked down in the sixth round.

Bam rose from the canvas and finished the job in the next round, adding a layer of toughness to his growing personality. His opponent, Guevara, is 35 years old and has had more than twice as many professional fights as Bam.

Guevara will step into the ring in Philly with a 42-4-1 record. Like Boots, Bam is filling in for his world title, but this match has the potential to be a bit more challenging. Guevara is not the biggest puncher, having not stopped an opponent in four years, but he is agile and tough.

He has never been stopped in 47 pro fights. That distinction will likely be Bam’s target as he looks to further separate himself from any fighter in his weight class.

The Return of Ray Ford

Few young fighters in the sport have a style that is more exciting than Ford’s. Some would argue that he relies on it a little too much and that may have been what cost him the fight against Ball.

Ford knows balance well. We talked about that and other topics earlier this month, but he assured me he’s ready for Gonzalez.

Ford doesn’t feel like he was robbed against Ball, but he knows he has more to show. He plans to do so against Gonzalez in a fight that should be worth tuning into on the Boots and Bam card ahead of the main and co-main events.

Stay tuned for more fight week coverage, including results from the two main bouts on the card.