TV Picks of The Week: Jarrett Hurd vs. Jeison Rosario

Pick It: Jarrett Hurd vs. Jeison Rosario

When to Watch: Wednesday, August 21 at 8 p.m. 

How to watch: ProBoxTV.com

Why to Watch: Hurd and Rosario were two of the top junior middleweights during an era when the 154-pound weight class featured a veritable round-robin. Many of the division’s contenders and titleholders faced each other en route to Jermell Charlo becoming the undisputed champion.

Hurd and Rosario never shared the same ring, however.

Years later, they’ll meet at middleweight in Plant City, Florida, with far different stakes. Each man is trying to keep his career alive.

Hurd, a 33-year-old from the Washington, D.C., suburb of Accokeek, Maryland, captured a world title back in 2017, stopping Tony Harrison in nine rounds for the vacant IBF belt. Then came a 10th-round technical knockout of Austin Trout, a split decision over Erislandy Lara in the Boxing Writers Association of America’s 2018 Fight of the Year to add the WBA world title to his collection, and a quick victory over Jason Wellborn.

Then Hurd’s reign ended. And soon Rosario’s began.

Hurd lost a decision, and his title, to Julian Williams in 2019. After a comeback win in January 2020, Hurd didn’t return until June 2021, competing as a middleweight. He lost a split decision to Luis Arias. That fight came a few months after Hurd’s father, Fred Hurd Sr., passed away.

Jarrett Hurd took some time off. His next ring appearance was in March 2023, and that brought another setback. Hurd was stopped in the 10th round by Jose Armando Resendiz, the fight called off due to a bad cut on Hurd’s lip. Hurd came back in December with a TKO of Tyi Edmonds. Hurd is now 25-3 (17 KOs).

Rosario, meanwhile, is 24-4-1 with 18 KOs. The 29-year-old is originally from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and now lives in Miami.

Rosario rose to prominence after suffering his first loss, stopped in six rounds by Nathaniel Gallimore in 2017. He put together a string of wins, including decisions over Justin DeLoach, Jamontay Clark and Jorge Cota, which landed him a January 2020 fight with Williams in the Philadelphian’s first defense of the IBF and WBA belts he’d seized from Hurd.

Rosario dethroned Williams in five rounds. Alas, his own reign would be just as brief.

Rosario’s next fight came against Charlo, who came in with the WBC belt, in September 2020. Charlo dropped Rosario three times, finishing him in the eighth round with a hard jab to the body.

As with Hurd, things continued downhill for Rosario. He was knocked out in his next bout, too, put away in six rounds by Erickson Lubin in June 2021. Rosario notched three wins before stepping in with Brian Mendoza in November 2022. Again, Rosario didn’t see the final bell; Mendoza knocked him out in the fifth. Rosario spent another year off before returning last November with a two-round win over a designated opponent.

“It’s definitely make or break for me,” Hurd told BoxingScene’s Eric Raskin earlier this month. “I feel like if I can’t get a win over Jeison Rosario, that answers the question, ‘Will I make it back to that top level?’ This fight right here is gonna answer a lot of questions for me.”

(Note: BoxingScene.com is owned by ProBox.) 

More Fights to Watch

Saturday, August 24: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III (DAZN pay-per-view) 

The broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

This is an exhibition bout taking place in Mexico City. Mayweather and Gotti will meet in a rematch of their June 2023 exhibition, which ended with an in-ring melee. Referee Kenny Bayless had stopped that fight due to too much trash-talking and extracurricular activity. Gotti decided to keep attacking Mayweather, and members of both of their camps then entered the ring.

The undercard includes another exhibition featuring another former welterweight titleholder, Victor Ortiz, who’ll face Rodrigo Damian Coria. Ortiz last fought in May 2022 and is 33-7-3 (25 KOs). Coria is 13-6 (2 KOs). 

Also, former junior featherweight titleholder Azat Hovhannisyan is slated to return for the first time since his 11th-round technical knockout loss to Luis Nery in February 2023 in one of last year’s best fights. Hovhannisyan, 21-4 (17 KOs), will face Alan Picasso Romero, 28-0-1 (16 KOs). Picasso Romero stopped Damien Vazquez in five rounds this May.

And lightweight prospect Curmel Moton (4-0, 3 KOs) will face Victor Vazquez, 5-2-1 (0 KOs), who hasn’t fought since 2018 and spent much of his career in the 105- and 108-pound weight classes, with one appearance at 118.

Saturday, August 24: Bryant Jennings vs. Joel Caudle (BXNG TV)

The broadcast begins at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

Former heavyweight contender Jennings is among the many local fighters appearing at this show at The Met Philadelphia.

Jennings is 24-4 (14 KOs) and fighting for the first time since a 2019 decision loss to Joe Joyce. Caudle is 9-8-2 (6 KOs).

Among those scheduled to appear on the undercard is current welterweight prospect Avious Griffin of Tennessee (14-0, 13 KOs), who’ll face William Jackson, 13-4-2 (5 KOs).

Saturday, August 24: Olajuwon Acosta vs. Vincent Avina (Triller)

The broadcast begins at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

This fight between unbeaten bantamweights Acosta and Avina will headline at the Palacio de Recreación y Deportes Germán Wilkins Vélez Ramírez in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

That means Acosta will be performing in front of his hometown crowd. He is 11-0 (8 KOs) and coming off a sixth-round TKO of a 4-6 opponent named Gabriel Marte in April. The combined record of Acosta’s previous opponents is 62-109-9.

Avina is an 8-0-1 (7 KOs) fighter originally from Stockton, California, and now living in Las Vegas. In June, he took out the 6-30-2 Abraham Manriquez Gonzalez in two rounds. The combined record of Avina’s previous opponents is 20-107-4.

Saturday, August 24: Albert Ramirez vs. Adam Deines (IBA.sport) 

The broadcast begins at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

Ramirez, a light heavyweight from Venezuela, will be performing in his home country in the main event of this show at the Domo Jose Maria Vargas in La Guaira.

The 32-year-old competed in the 2016 Olympics at light heavyweight, making it to the second round of the tournament. As a pro he is 18-0 (15 KOs) and coming off a January unanimous decision over Artur Ziyatdinov.

Deines is a 33-year-old from Germany who is 23-2-1 (14 KOs). He’s best known for a 2021 decision loss to light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. Since then, Deines has won four in a row, most recently dispatching the 18-33-2 Ondrej Budera in 94 seconds last September.

Follow David Greisman on Twitter @FightingWords2. His book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.