Two world championship fights will be taking place at Verona’s Turning Stone Casino in upstate New York, on a card jointly promoted by Eddie Hearn alongside Lou DiBella.
Undefeated Russian Dmitry Bivol is the current holder of the WBA championship and will be defending his belt against dangerous challenger Joe Smith Jr.
After a successful 2018, where he made three convincing defences of his title against Sullivan Barrera, Isaac Chilemba and Jean Pascal, Bivol – born in what is now Krygyzstan to a Korean mother and Russian father – will be looking to extend his perfect record to 16-0 with another equally impressive victory.
Smith, meanwhile, is a murderous puncher who challenges for his first world title after proposed bouts with Stevenson, Kovalev and Artur Beterbiev failed to materialise.
Bivol will no doubt be cognisant of the explosive quality Smith possesses in both fists – which the American has demonstrated on numerous occassions in victory and defeat – and will be looking to produce a disciplined, skillful performance with his surgical combination punching to rack up another victory en route to a potential unification fight with compatriot Sergey Kovalev.
After back to back wins over two undefeated favoured opponents – Terry Flanagan and Alex Saucedo – Maurice Hooker makes the second defence of his WBO welterweight championship against Trinidadian-born Brooklynite Mikkel LesPierre.
Mighty Mo, as he is nicknamed, will unquestionably be looking to make a statement to ensure he is not the division’s forgotten man when the smoke clears from the World Boxing Super Series tournament.
A showdown with the tournament winner, or WBC champion Jose Ramirez, potentially awaits.
Undefeated, heavy-handed Russian Sergey Kuzmin also features on the card against Pennsylvanian Joey Dawejko.
Dawejko put forward a spirited effort in taking Bryant Jennings the distance last April in Philadelphia, while Kuzmin – a former amateur standout who boasts a knockout win over Joe Joyce in the unpaid ranks – notably featured on the Joshua-Povetkin undercard against David Price, someone who was forced to retire with an injury after a four-round shootout.
Callum Johnson also returns to the ring after suffering his sole professional reverse to Artur Beterbiev in October.
The Boston, Lincolnshire native and former Commonwealth medallist would be forgiven for choosing a less heralded opponent following the gutsy yet devastating nature of his defeat in Chicago, but in Seanie Monaghan he faces someone who has been in with the likes of Sullivan Barrera and Marcus Brown. The New York native, who is similarly on the comeback travel, will undoubtedly be motivated to reestablish himself as a contender in the division with a win over Johnson.