Hurd-Rosario: A final stand with title-fight consequences

The appeal of Wednesday night’s Jarrett Hurd-Jeison Rosario middleweight showdown on ProBox TV isn’t just the final-stand nature of this battle between two former unified 154-pound champions.

It’s also hitched to the notion that their prominent names can move them in victory to a world-championship fight in a division devoid of big names.

On Tuesday’s edition of ProBox TV’s “Top Stories,” former world champions Paulie Malignaggi and Chris Algieri assessed the middleweight division’s landscape and can envision the possibilities.

While Hurd, 33, is reeling from three losses in his past five bouts, he does have a history with current WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara, who meets former two-division champion Danny Garcia Sept. 14 in the co-main event under the Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga fight in Las Vegas.

In 2018, Hurd escaped by knocking down Lara and cutting him at the eye to gain a one-point victory on two scorecards in a split-decision triumph.

“Hurd has that rivalry with Lara from that top, top fight and yes Lara has Danny Garcia in front of him, but if both guys come through, they may be looking at a rematch,” Malignaggi said. “Yes, it may not be a rematch like Leonard-Duran 2 – more like Leonard-Duran 3 – but as an ex-world champion, you put yourself in the mix,” by winning this fight.

Similarly, with new trainer Bob Santos in his corner following three knockout losses since 2020, the 29-year-old Rosario (24-4-1, 18 KOs) could set a path to new WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames since both hail from the Dominican Republic.

“Whoever wins tonight gets a world-title fight,” Algieri predicts. “They’re both big-name guys. It just makes too much sense for this winner to step right into a title fight.”

The bout ranks as the most important one ever staged by ProBox TV, which prides itself on the standard that it provides a showcase for quality fighters as long as they’ll commit to 50-50 fights.

This is that, Malignaggi said.

“When you’re on the tail end of your career, it’s always desperate. You’re trying to keep it going as long as you can,” Malignaggi said. “They’ve both been to the mountaintop, so there’s a curiosity of, ‘We’ve seen these guys be great. Can they be great once more?’

“Matching them against each other goes with the ProBox mentality, ‘OK, we’ll give you a chance … but you’ve got to fight each other.’ This is one of those. This goes along exactly with that moniker. They’ve shown they’ve got the goods. Do they still have the goods?”

The opportunity to make that stand against a fellow former world champion gives the main event “a make or break (moment) for both men,” Algieri said.

“This is a platform to go onto bigger and better things.”

Algieri said Rosario’s union with veteran trainer Santos “adds an extra layer to this fight,” noting Rosario has to prove he’s more durable than Hurd after those three knockout losses, the most recent coming to Brian Mendoza in November 2022.

“Rosario’s a dynamic puncher … add in Bob Santos to the mix and it looks like more of a 50/50 fight,” Algieri said.

Malignaggi notes that while “boxing math” doesn’t always equate, Hurd (25-3, 17 KOs) lost his belts to Julian Williams by unanimous decision in May 2019, Williams lost his belts by fifth-round TKO to Rosario seven months later.

“It doesn’t always add up, but we’re excited about this one,” Malignaggi said.