Pick It: TBRB #2 Jamel Herring vs. #7 Shakur Stevenson (Saturday, ESPN, 10:30 PM EST)

This one may appeal most to the hardcore audience but as boxing moves from big heavyweight action to a loaded November slate, this is real quality to pass the time.

35-year old Jamel Herring (23-2, 11 KO) has been a number of things as a man: Marine, war veteran, Olympian, and now a Jr. lightweight titlist looking for his fourth title defense. He’ll have his hands full against another fellow Olympian. Shakur Stevenson (16-0, 8 KO) was as blue chip as it gets coming off his 2016 silver medal. Stevenson is looking for his second WBO belt in as many professional weight classes is heavily favored. Herring, coming off a retiring of Carl Frampton, is looking for the sort of win that can define a career up for good. Fans of seeing famous fighters' relatives will also have the chance to check out Evan Holyfield and Nico Ali Walsh as well as intriguing Jr. middleweight prospect Xander Zayas.            

Additional Show to Watch For

Friday - Rivas vs. Rozicki (ESPN+, 7:00 PM EST)

34-year old heavyweight fringe player Oscar Rivas (27-1, 19 KO) is in action here against 26-year old replacement opponent Ryan Rozicki (13-0, 13 KO). The winner will be crowned the inaugural WBC titlist at Bridgerweight, a new sanctioning fee funnel. As just a regular Friday heavyweight fight, it might be entertaining. Whether the new division becomes a standing reality over the long haul remains to be seen. History says it has a good shot. Cruiserweight drew scoffs in 1979 when it was born; then Evander Holyfield came along. Ricardo Lopez almost singularly made strawweight a thing. As soon as the other sanctioning bodies see the proof of concept and profit, this horse might be out of the barn.  

Friday/Saturday - Soto vs. Lopez (Telemundo, 12:00 AM EST)

23-year old Jr. bantamweight Jose Soto (15-0, 6 KO) has a main event opportunity to turn heads. The young Colombian takes a step up in terms of experience when he faces 39-year old former Jr. flyweight titlist Ganigan Lopez (36-11, 19 KO). Lopez is on the back nine, with losses in five of his last seven starts, three of those losses by knockout. If Soto is a real comer, he wins big here.  

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com