After a quiet week of boxing last week, the sport is back with a slew of marquee events this weekend. Vasyl Lomachenko and Robeisy Ramirez return on Top Rank’s card, Katie Taylor and JoJo Diaz headline separate DAZN cards, and Jake Paul also headlines another Showtime PPV against his toughest opponent to date. You won’t want to miss these fights, and I will be breaking down each of the major matchups that we have along with providing some betting insight on each bout.

Top Rank Boxing Main Event: Vasyl Lomachenko (16-2, 11 KOs) vs Jamaine Ortiz (16-0-1, 8 KOs)

Lightweights, 12 Rounds, Madison Square Garden Theatre, New York

Fight Odds via DraftKings:

Vasyl Lomachenko ML (-3000), Jamaine Ortiz (+1100)

Over 10.5 Rounds (-120), Under 10.5 Rounds (-105)

Lomachenko to win by decision (+110)

Lomachenko to win by stoppage (-135)

Jamaine Ortiz to win by decision (+2000)

Jamaine Ortiz to win by stoppage (+2200)

Fight ends in a draw (+2500)

Former Three Division World Champion Vasyl Lomachenko makes his highly anticipated return to the ring this weekend against undefeated rising contender Jamaine Ortiz. Lomachenko was set to fight George Kambosos Jr for the unified lightweight titles earlier this year, but pulled out of the fight and returned to his war-torn home country of Ukraine as Russia had begun their invasion. Lomachenko was inspired by his good friend and countrymen Oleksandr Usyk, who beat Anthony Joshua in their rematch in August, and set his sights on a comeback before the end of this year. He comes in as the heavy favorite, and is hoping that with a victory he can get a crack at the undisputed lightweight title against Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) early next year. His opponent for this weekend is Jamaine Ortiz, a rising contender who has made a name for himself with two impressive victories already this year. After drawing with Joseph Adorno (17-1-2, 14 KOs) in a fight of the year contender last year, he rallied and picked up victories over Nahir Albright (15-2, 7 KOs) on ShoBox and Former 130lb Champion Jamel Herring (23-4, 11 KOs) setting him up for this opportunity. Ortiz will have the size and physical edge in this one, but the difference in skill between the two is the deciding factor for me. Lomachenko is one of the most skilled fighters we have in the sport today, and I think that after a few feel out rounds he will begin to step to Ortiz and eventually break him down.

My pick: Vasyl Lomachenko to win by stoppage (-135)

Value Play: Lomachenko to win by stoppage in rounds 10-12 (+380), rounds 7-9 (+330)

Co-Main Event: Robeisy Ramirez (10-1, 6 KOs) vs Jose Matias Romero (26-2, 9 KOs)

Featherweights, 10 Rounds, Madison Square Garden Theatre, New York

Fight Odds via DraftKings:

Robeisy Ramirez ML (-3000), Jose Matias Romero ML (+1000)

Over 7.5 Rounds (-110), Under 7.5 Rounds (-115)

Robeisy Ramirez to win by decision (+150)

Robeisy Ramirez to win by stoppage (-180)

Jose Matias Romero to win by decision (+2000)

Jose Matias Romero to win by stoppage (+1800)

Fight ends in a draw (+2500)

Rising featherweight contender Robeisy Ramirez looks to continue on his hot streak in the co-main event of Saturday night’s ESPN card. After coming up short in his pro debut, the 2x Cuban Olympic Gold Medalist has gone on a run that proves he is making a name for himself as a professional as well. He has been in the co-main spot on two ESPN cards already this year and picked up two stoppage victories against quality opponents in Eric Donovan (16-2, 8 KOs) and Abraham Nova (21-1, 15 KOs). He was originally set to face fellow featherweight contender Jessie Magdaleno (29-1, 18 KOs), but Magdaleno was forced to withdraw from the opportunity due to injury. Jose Matias Romero was named as the late replacement, but this is not your average last second replacement opponent. Romero is going to be the larger man in the ring this Saturday night, and he has proven that he is a quality opponent going the ten round distance with lightweight contenders Michel Rivera (24-0, 14 KOs) and Isaac Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs). Though Magdaleno is a much more known name than Romero, I think that Romero can actually be a tougher opponent for Ramirez, especially on short notice. Nonetheless, I am a believer that Robeisy Ramirez is competitive with anyone in the 126lb division and will have no problem picking up his third win of the year.

My pick: Robeisy Ramirez to win by decision (+150), Over 7.5 Rounds (-110)

DAZN US Main Event: William Zepeda (26-0, 23 KOs) vs Joseph Diaz (32-2-1, 15 KOs)

Lightweights, 12 Rounds, Pechanga Arena, San Diego

Fight Odds via DraftKings:
William Zepeda ML (-175), Joseph Diaz ML (+135)

Over 10.5 Rounds (-275), Under 10.5 Rounds (+205)

William Zepeda to win by decision (+160)

William Zepeda to win by stoppage (+250)

Joseph Diaz to win by decision (+230)

Joseph Diaz to win by stoppage (+600)

Fight to end in a draw (+1400)

The Showtime and Top Rank cards have gotten much more press, but I feel like if you are a hardcore boxing fan then this is probably the best fight on the schedule this weekend. Former 130lb Champion Joseph “JoJo” Diaz will be opposite rising lightweight William Zepeda this Saturday. Diaz is coming off of a unanimous decision loss to now Undisputed Lightweight Champion Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs), and with a win here he puts himself right back in the title picture. William Zepeda is one of Golden Boy’s most intriguing prospects, and with a win here he puts himself among the elite in the talent rich 135lb division. JoJo Diaz is no stranger to a 50/50 type of matchup, sharing the ring with a number of elite level fighters throughout his career including Haney, Gary Russell Jr (31-2, 18 KOs), Tevin Farmer (30-5-1, 6 KOs), Javier Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 KOs) and Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (16-0-1, 13 KOs). Zepeda being the young rising star, has not had to face nearly the amount of adversity that Diaz has had to in his career. I think that Zepeda has the offensive skillset and pressure to give Diaz problems, but overall I am going to go with the experience of JoJo Diaz and I’m picking the underdog to come out victorious. Zepeda has been very up and down with his recent performances, and to me the consistency and ruggedness of a former champion will prove to be too much for him.

My pick: Joseph Diaz to win by decision (+230), Over 10.5 Rounds (-275)

DAZN UK Main Event: Katie Taylor (21-0, 6 KOs) vs Karen Elizabeth Carabajal (19-0, 2 KOs)

Lightweights, 10 Rounds, Wembley Arena, UK

Fight Odds via DraftKings:

Katie Taylor ML (-6000), Karen Elizabeth Carabajal ML (+1200)

Over 8.5 Rounds (-425), Under 8.5 Rounds (+300)

Katie Taylor to win by decision (-300)

Katie Taylor to win by stoppage (+225)

Karen Elizabeth Carabajal to win by decision (+2800)

Karen Elizabeth Carabajal to win by stoppage (+2000)

Fight to end in a draw (+2800)

Fresh off of a classic performance against Amanda Serrano (43-2-1, 30 KOs) on a historic night at a sold out Madison Square Garden, Katie Taylor is back overseas defending her undisputed crown against mandatory challenger Karen Elizabeth Carabajal. Taylor’s fight with Amanda Serrano is still currently my fight of the year for 2022. It was a movie-like war that saw Taylor start and close the fight well, but also saw her hurt bad and hanging on during the middle rounds. Karen Elizabeth Carabajal is an undefeated mandatory challenger, but I don’t anticipate Taylor having nearly as many problems with her as she did with Serrano earlier this year. Carabajal is unbeaten in 19 pro contests, but she has not fought outside of her home country of Argentina and her resume lacks the depth of a top contender. I am sure that she will come to fight, knowing that a victory can change her life for the better, but I believe that the talent and experience gap will be too much for her to deal with. I foresee Katie Taylor winning a wide unanimous decision.

My pick: Katie Taylor to win by decision (-300), Over 8.5 Rounds (-425)

Showtime PPV Main Event: Jake Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) vs Anderson Silva (3-1, 2 KOs)

Cruiserweights, 8 Rounds, Gila River Arena, Glendale

Fight Odds via DraftKings:

Jake Paul ML (-225), Anderson Silva ML (+175)

Over 6.5 Rounds (-135), Under 6.5 Rounds (+105)

Jake Paul to win by decision (+180)

Jake Paul to win by stoppage (+240)

Anderson Silva to win by decision (+650)

Anderson Silva to win by stoppage (+250)

Fight ends in a draw (+1200)

The Jake Paul hype trains continues this weekend as he is facing what should be his stiffest test to date. He is up against Former Undisputed UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, who in his prime was arguably the best striker in the history of MMA. The one problem for Silva is that at 47 years of age, his best days are behind him and he is only a fraction of the talent that he once was. Silva lost seven of his last eight contests in the UFC, and was finished in four of those defeats. His southpaw style and awkwardness will most likely have Jake off guard in the first few rounds, but I feel like it is only a matter of time before he lands something big that hurts the MMA legend.

My pick: Jake Paul to win by stoppage (+240)

Value Play: Jake Paul by stoppage in rounds 5-6 (+800)