ARCHIE RAY MARQUEZ vs DERRICK CAMPOS

Albuquerque local favourite Archie Ray Marquez is likely to be severely tested in Friday’s chief supporting bout on ShoBox when he meets the durable and gritty Derrick Campos, of Topeka, KS, in an interesting junior lightweight eight-rounder.

Marquez was extended in his last fight when he eked out a majority decision over the experienced Andres Ledesma for his ninth win in a row. On Friday he steps up to eight rounds and meets a fighter who will be doing his best to keep him under pressure in every round.

Campos is a better fighter than his seven losses suggest. He has often given away weight, height and reach, which he did when losing to the junior welterweight Dmitriy Salita. Campos boxed as a featherweight in his last fight when losing narrowly to Andrey Isaev, a useful fighter from Belarus, in a bout that was one round on one card from being a draw. It seems that Campos came on strongly in the later rounds despite being cut over both eyes.

When Campos fought Salita he gamely hustled and bustled against a much bigger man — he even had Salita in a bit of trouble on the ropes in the eighth round.

Marquez, though, is the boxer who seems to be going places.

I was impressed with Marquez when he won a unanimous decision over Sergi Ganjelashvili on Friday Night Fights last August. He boxed stylishly and showed some smart moves, but his Republic of Georgia opponent wasn’t on the same level.

The fight with Ledesma should have taught Marquez a lot. Although Ledesma had lost nine of his last 10 bouts he is a veteran who knows how to fight. Marquez had to dig down to win.

Now Marquez takes what looks like a tougher step forward in his career and I think that Campos is going to give the 21-year-old a searching examination.

Marquez looks the classier boxer and seems a a bit quicker, but Campos is one of those fireplug-type fighters who keeps coming and keeps his hands moving. This should be an entertaining, competitive fight that is likely to go the distance.

Boxing at home in Albuquerque might give Marquez a slight advantage but Campos seems to be the sort of fighter who is unlikely to be affected by a hostile reception — he just comes out at the first bell to fight his fight and to give his best.

I’m leaning towards the undefeated local fighter to pull through, but I can envisage Marquez having to fight at full stretch in every round to keep his nose in front.