Baranchyk, Dubois, Fury added to undercard of Paul-Woodley Showtime PPV

Five TV bouts set for Aug. 29 event

While Jake Paul is a novice and Tyron Woodley will be making his boxing debut against him their undercard has been filled by more experienced fighters.

Showtime on Monday announced three additional bouts on the Paul-Woodley undercard and they will include former junior welterweight world titlist Ivan Baranchyk and a pair of Brits making their United States debuts in heavyweight Daniel Dubois and Tommy Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

The card is scheduled for Aug. 29 (Showtime PPV, 8 p.m.) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, where Paul grew up.

Baranchyk (20-2, 13 KOs), 28, a Belarus native based in Oklahoma, will take on Cleveland-native Montana Love (15-0-1, 7 KOs), a 26-year-old southpaw, in a 10-round junior welterweight bout.

Baranchyk will be fighting for the first time since Oct. 3, 2020, when he got knocked out by Jose Zepeda in the fifth round of an epic rumble that was the clear fight of the year. Both men were knocked down four times apiece and there were knockdowns in every round of the unforgettable slugfest.

“This is a big step for me,” Baranchyk said. “I am grateful to get back in the ring with someone like Montana after my loss. I want to show everyone that I’m back, I’m stronger, and I’m a new version of myself. I want to thank my fans for the support you've always given me. On Aug. 29, it’s Showtime, baby!”

“Too Pretty” Love, who has won four fights in a row since an eight-round split draw with Kenneth Sims Jr. in July 2018,  was announced for the card when it was put together and now he has the most notable opponent of his career.

“I know Ivan is a strong young fighter, but he has some ugly habits,” Love said. “We're having a grueling camp right now and I'm going to keep it ‘Too Pretty' on fight night. See you Aug. 29 in my hometown for a great night.”

Dubois (16-1, 15 KOs), 23, of England, has been one of boxing’s most promising heavyweights in recent years. After suffering a broken orbit bone in a 10th-round knockout loss to British countryman Joe Joyce in November 2020, he rebounded on June 5 to knock out Bogdan Dinu with a right hand in the second round to claim the WBA’s vacant interim heavyweight title.

Dubois will face journeyman Joe Cusumano (19-3, 17 KOs), 33, of Danville, Virginia. Currently, the bout is scheduled as 10-round nontitle affair.

“I am ready now to push on and build on the WBA interim title I won in my last fight,” Dubois said. “I am thrilled to take the show on the road and look to win the American public over. I am told the American public love heavyweight boxing, so it is time to introduce them to Daniel Dubois. I will make sure it is a name they won’t forget.”

Fury (6-0, 4 KOs), 22, of England, will face Anthony Taylor, 32, of Alameda, California, in a six-round bout contracted at 180 pounds that will open the pay-per-view telecast. Taylor, who is one of Paul’s sparring partners, lost his only boxing match in 2017 by split-decision. He is more experienced in MMA, where he is 7-5, having won his last five in a row.

“American fans can, as always with me, expect a big dirty knockout,” Fury said. “That is what I say and that is what I try to bring. I want to put on a master class performance and show levels again and show how much I am improving. This is another step on my journey to world titles.”

In the previously announced co-feature, unified women’s featherweight titlist Amanda Serrano (40-1-1, 30 KOs), 32, a Puerto Rico native fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, will defend her belts against junior featherweight titlist Yamileth Mercado (18-2, 5 KOs), 23, of Mexico.

In a non-PPV bout, junior middleweight up-and-comer and 2016 U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell (15-0, 11 KOs), 23, who is from Cleveland, will face Lucas Bastida (17-1, 9 KOs), 24, of Argentina, in a 10-round fight. Conwell was slated to face Mark DeLuca (27-2, 15 KOs), but DeLuca withdrew due to a back injury.

Paul (3-0, 3 KOs), the social media influencer and YouTube personality, and former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, 39, of St. Louis, will meet in an eight-round bout contracted at 190 pounds in the main event. The fight is the first of Paul’s multi-fight deal with Showtime.

Dubois photo: Queensberry Promotions