Manny Pacquiao returning to the boxing ring is not the only highlight of the WBO-sanctioned fight card on November 6 (Manila time) at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Sure, the ring icon makes will stake his reputation against Jessie Vargas for the WBO World welterweight title but the undercard is also stacked with title fights.
Nonito Donaire vs. Jessie Magdaleno
Nonito Donaire, right, of the Philippines, and Jessie Magdaleno pose during a weigh-in Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, in Las Vegas. The two are scheduled to fight in a junior featherweight title bout Saturday in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Nonito Donaire (37-3, 24 Kos) will defend his WBO super bantamweight belt, and honor, against Jessie Magdaleno who is gunning for his world title.
A knockout artist, Magdaleno (23-0) has won 17 of his fights via knockout and is also nine years the junior of Donaire.
Donaire has been pegged as a successor of Pacquiao but at 33-year-old it seems he’s built his own legacy outside the light of Pacman and his fight against the upstart Magdaleno could be just another entry to his already illustrious career.
He dominated the sport back in 2012 wearing the WBO and IBF World super bantamweight titles and taking home the Fighter of the Year award.
Oscar Valdez vs. Hiroshige Osawa
Oscar Valdez, left, of Mexico, and Hiroshige Osawa, of Japan, pose during a weigh-in, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, in Las Vegas. The two are scheduled to fight in a featherweight title bout Saturday in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Oscar Valdez’ inclusion in the undercard for the Pacquiao-Vargas fight could probably be the Mexican’s ticket to his biggest audience.
Undefeated in his 20 fights and flooring 18 of his opponents, Valdez is a power puncher that has one method to win and that is to put the other guy to sleep.
He’s the no.8-ranked featherweight in Ring Magazine’s list and the WBO World featherweight champion will stake his belt against Hiroshige Osawa.
Osawa (30-3-4) is Valdez’ senior by six years but hasn’t fought in a world title fight in his career and is not seen as a top-50 fighter in the division.
Japan’s son will be fighting in American soil for the first time in his 12-year career, a geographically short pilgrimage since his bouts were all fought in his native land and in the Philippines.
Zou Shiming vs. Prasitsak Papoem
Shiming Zou left, of China, and Prasitak Papoem, of Thailand, pose during a weigh-in, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, in Las Vegas. The two are scheduled to compete in a flyweight title bout Saturday in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
This is the second time these two 35-year-olds will face each other—the first being in the undercard of Pacquiao’s fight against Chris Algieri back in 2014.
And that fight was overwhelmingly on the side of Zou who won via unanimous decision for the WBO International flyweight title.
This time around it’s for the vacant WBO World flyweight title.
Both men are not on Ring Magazine’s top 10 rankings and the only reason this fight pushed through is because of WBO’s insistence.