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Add FightsATW on GoogleThis week, the best strawweight titleholder, Oscar Collazo, will face Joey Canoy on Saturday at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, CA.
The bout on paper looks to be a stay-busy fight for Collazo, who has crept onto pound-for-pound lists thanks to his recent dominance. That said, these are the true championship merit fights, as the world is watching Collazo with no expectations of what Canoy can bring.
Let’s look at some of the storylines for this bout on DAZN, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.
How Good Is Oscar Collazo?
Collazo (14-0, 11 KOs) enters with as much anticipation for an extremely lightweight fighter as Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. He has buzz, main events, and major cards for Golden Boy Promotions, which isn’t common for belt-holders at 105 lbs. He won his WBO strawweight belt in seven fights against arguably the second-best fighter in the division, Melvin Jerusalem. He has made seven defenses of his belt. In the process, he stopped strawweight legend Knockout CP Freshmart in 2024 to win the WBA title.
Collazo passes the eye test and the accomplishment test. The next question is whether he can continue to move up the pound-for-pound rankings (if that matters to you)? I am not certain. He is in high-risk, low-reward fights at this point, and the only advantage of staying at his weight class is the chance to become an undisputed champion. The big fight is against Filipino Pedro Taduran, who holds the IBF title. Beyond that, like most fighters in the lower weights, he needs to move up and find big names that capture people’s attention. Is it fair? Of course not. But it is also a reality.
Who Is Joey Canoy?
Canoy enters with a record of 25-5-2 (15 KOs). I watch boxing every weekend, and I am unsure whether I have ever seen him fight. This is emblematic of the division and speaks to the extreme risks Collazo consistently takes. Canoy has been unbeaten since 2019 and has a high knockout ratio.
For most people, our introduction to Canoy will be based on how he performs in this fight.
Based on The Eye Test
Collazo should win the fight since he has been on a dominant run in the 105lbs division and seems to be the class of the division. Even with limited familiarity with Canoy, the perception is that Collazo is a once-in-a-generation talent in his weight class.
What The Odds Say?
Collazo is a sizable favorite, if nothing else, as a familiar name who has dominated the division’s best over the past three years.
Per BETUS, Oscar Collazo is the favorite at -1600 and Joey Canoy is the underdog at +750.
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