Broner vs Maidana Preview

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler):



L-R: Beibut Shumenov, Leo Santa Cruz, Keith Thurman, Adrien Broner,
Marcos Maidana, Jesus Soto-Karass, Cesar Seda, Tamas Kovacs


It seems that week-by-week the similarities between Adrien Broner and Floyd Mayweather are growing. The revolutionary shoulder roll, the trash talk, the outspoken personalities, the entourages, and now it seems that like Floyd, Broner can't catch a break with most boxing fans.

The prime example is this; fans were calling on Mayweather to face the young lion, Canelo Alvarez, more than ever before were tipping Mayweather to lose his perfect record, but once the 12 rounds were concluded, there were still the few that screamed out that Alvarez was tailor-made for Floyd, that once again the pound-for-pound king was cherry-picking his opponents. Broner will likely be placed in the same situation following Saturday nights showdown with Marcos Maidana. I distinctly recall boxing fans calling for Broner to take on Maidana, and also stating that Maidana would "destroy" the enigmatic American. Yet if Broner dominates his Argentinian foe, one has the feeling that those same people that called for this fight to happen will say that Maidana was the perfect opponent for Broner. Well Adrien, you might just have to get used to this.

That is not to say I rate Broner 27-0(22) as the next Mayweather, nowhere near in fact. I don't believe that Broner will remain unbeaten, but while his personality is off-putting, it is no good rating a fighter by how much you like them. Broner's skills in the ring have to be appreciated and if he can dominate Maidana on Saturday night then he must be given credit for doing so, especially when so many boxing fans were adamant this bout must take place.

Maidana 34-3(31) is far from being tailor-made for Broner, especially judging by Broner's most recent display. Maidana can be made to look slow and one-dimensional at times, but he is far stronger than Antonio DeMarco - a man with a similar fighting style to Maidana who Broner met at Lightweight. And that slow and plodding style did him very little harm against the blurring speed of Amir Khan, who so nearly came unstuck from the constant pressure Maidana applied.

Broner will likely have to up his own work rate after the controversy surrounding his WBA 'world' Welterweight title win against Paulie Malignaggi. Movement will also be key as he will regret being caught flat-footed against a man that seems impossible to deter.

Devon Alexander outclassed Maidana when the former Light Welterweight was in the transition period of moving up to Welterweight, but Alexander's constant movement in that fight was Maidana's downfall. This style is unlikely to be applied by Broner which should make for some furious and exciting action, but inbetween those flashes of warfare, Broner can outbox Maidana who will try to match the champions jab, but the speed will always leave him a step behind. Maidana's will and Broner's style will keep the contest intriguing throughout, but by the fights end there will be no doubt as to who will take the victory.


Keith Thurman (left) vs Jesus Soto-Karass (right)

In the featured attraction, Keith Thurman 21-0(19) will have his toughness pushed to the limits against relentless boxer/puncher Jesus Soto Karass 28-8-3(18).

Very few have had an easy night against Karass, even in several defeats the Mexican has put his conquerors through a night they never forget. Maidana was shaken on multiple occasions before he roared to an 8th round stoppage while in both encounters Mike Jones was shaken to his boots, but survived to take close decision wins on both occasions.

Karass may well be on the shortlist for fighter of the year if he scores a 3rd upset victory in 2013, having already dominated Selcuk Aydin (MD 10) before winning the battle of wills against Andre Berto (TKO 12).  Besting Thurman may be the most impressive of the lot, considering Berto and Aydin's already exposed weaknesses.

Thurman has himself had a year to savour, having topped an unwilling Jan Zaveck (UD 12) before brawling his way to victory in a back-and-forth bout with Diego Chaves (KO 10).



Leo Santa Cruz (left) vs Cesar Seda (right)

Karass will come out strong, instantly showing Thurman that he is here to win, but Thurman will also be happy to earn the respect of Karass, looking at every opportunity to land big. Karass's work rate may begin to drop, while Thurman draws strength from a ferocious first 6 rounds. As Karass becomes easier to read and time Thurman will eventually hurt Karass as the Mexican comes forward, leaving the referee to halt the fight around the 10th session.

Also on the undercard, Leo Santa Cruz 25-0-1(15) defends his WBC Super Bantamweight title he acquired when beating Victor Terrazas (KO 3). Challenger Cesar Seda 25-1(17) of Puerto Rico will have his hands full having lost in his last world title bid down at Super Flyweight in 2011, losing to Omar Narvaez (UD 12).

Seda moved up to Bantamweight following his first defeat but will struggle to cope with the spiteful power from the relentless Mexican, Cruz.



Beibut Shumenov (left) vs Tamas Kovacs (right)

Santa Cruz whose style compares well with Antonio Margarito's will likely wear Seda down for a stoppage around midway through the fight.

WBA 'Super' Light Heavyweight ruler Beibut Shumenov 13-1(8) will receive some much needed exposure when he defends against unbeaten Tamas Kovacs 23-0(14).

Kovacs has done close to nothing to merit a world title shot, but at 36 years old this will likely be his one and only shot. This makes him a dangerous opponent for Kazakhstan's Shumenov who has fought at a much higher level since facing faded Montell Griffin in his 5th professional outing. Still the fingers have been pointed at Shumenov for not facing the premier stars at 175lbs but that may all change as Showtime televise his 5th defence.



Guess who's back?: Former unified Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor

Kovacs may run out of logical ideas pretty fast, but his determination will ensure an enjoyable title fight, with Shumenov prevailing after 10 rounds.

Ricardo Alvarez 22-2-3(14) and Rod Salka 18-2(3) will both be looking to push their names up the WBC ladder at Light Welterweight in a match-up between puncher and boxer.

Salka at times will be able to outbox Alvarez but ultimately his lack of power will cost him as Alvarez walks through him to take a unanimous decision after 10 rounds.

Elsewhere Jermain Taylor 31-4-1(19) returns to the ring again and should prevail inside 5 rounds against former Winky Wright victim Juan Carlos Candelo 32-12-4(21).



L-R: Robert Easter, Maidana, Rau'shee Warren, Jamel Herring, Karass 

Finally Robert Easter 7-0(7) can emulate Terrance Crawford, halting Hardy Paredes 16-12(10) before the halfway mark in this 8 rounder. Former Olympian Rau'shee Warren 8-0(3), who has already suffered his fair share of sticky moments as a professional, may need the full 8 to beat Jose Silveira 15-9(6). Finally Jamel Herring 5-0(3) takes on Lance Williams 6-2(6) - who Easter stopped in a round - over 4 rounds.



Josesito Lopez vs Mike Arnaoutis Preview

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler):

It is so easy to forget about the Lopez prior to shocking Victor Ortiz - most likely because very few had even heard of the Riverside fighter. A rough ride to his defining night had seen him lose on 4 occasions and would not have been rated much higher than his opponent tomorrow, Mike Arnaoutis 24-9-2(11).

In California, Lopez 30-6(18) will have the chance to prove he deserves to stay at the same level that has seen him beat Ortiz (RTD 9) while lose to both Canelo Alvarez (TKO 5) & Marcos Maidana (TKO 6). His 34 year old opponent - who is set to fight again in just over a week - looks the perfect match for Lopez to impress, diving back onto the big shows in a packed Welterweight division.

Having lost 6 of his last 8 contests, Arnaoutis can only take the fact he is hard to stop as a positive - Danny Garcia (KO 4) and Victor Ortiz (TKO 2) are the only fighters to record inside the distance victories against this Greek warhorse. Demetrius Hopkins, Delvin Rodriguez, Tim Coleman, Kendall Holt and Ricardo Torres have all been taken the 12 rounds against Arnaoutis. That isn't a bad resume but two defeats on the bounce against Issouf Kinda & Chris Algieri has shown that Arnaoutis is little more than a gatekeeper for fighters on the way up or bouncing back from a rough patch, in Lopez's case.

Lopez who stopped Mike Dallas Jr in 7 rounds can become the 3rd man to halt Arnaoutis, in an entertaining scrap that also highlights the vulnerabilities in Lopez's game.

Elsewhere on the show Francisco Vargas 17-0-1(13) is looking to remain on course for a world title fight at Super Featherweight when he meets feather-fisted Jerry Belmontes 18-2(5).

Vargas outboxed fellow unbeaten Brandon Bennett last time out over 10 rounds, so isn't taking a step up in class. It's rather the opposite way around. Vargas packs a decent punch but Belmontes can take a punch well, and can survive several onslaughts before losing out on a wide unanimous decision.

Other unbeaten fighters on the undercard are Hugo Centeno Jr 19-0(10), Errol Spence 9-0(7), Joseph Diaz 7-0(5), Jermall Charlo 16-0(12), Julian Ramirez 9-0(6), Michael Hunter 2-0(2), Diego De La Hoya 1-0(1) and Stephen Shaw makes his professional debut.

Friday night results round-up: John loses, Yaegashi retains & much more

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler):



Vetyeka drops John in the 6th round


A weekend of upsets started on Friday night when former unbeaten WBA Featherweight title holder, Chris John lost for the first time in his professional career in his 52nd fight. Now 48-1-3(22), the former Juan Manuel Marquez conqueror - albeit controversially - retired after round 6 against unheralded challenger Simpiwe Vetyeka 26-2(16).

Indonesia's John was dropped and badly shaken in round 6 and was also under pressure in the 5th session. While John was not taking a severe beating, the 34 year old seemed to make a wise call as his South African foe was in full control of the contest.

Vetyeka who came in off the back of a 12th round stoppage of Daud Cino Yordan - who won on the undercard - will likely look for a home-coming in his ensuing defence of his IBO & WBA Featherweight titles.

In Japan, Edgar Sosa failed to end a magnificent 2013 with a world title as his WBC Flyweight title shot ended in a 12 round points defeat. Sosa had previously stunned both Ulises Solis and Giovani Segura with inside the distance victories, but met his match in Akira Yaegashi 19-3(9).

The champion was pushed hard in the second half of the contest as the Mexican challenger began to close the gap after a fast start from Yaegashi. Sosa 49-8(29) came forward throughout, but a lack of head movement made him an easy target for the counterpunching style that Yaegashi employed.

As the fight wore on Sosa had more success and began to drag Yaegashi into a fight of strength rather than skills, but by the contests end his second half rally was not enough losing by margins of 116-112 and a wide 117-111 (twice).

In a far less eventful title fight, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk 49-2-1(35) defended his WBC Cruiserweight title in 6 rounds against Giacobbe Fragomeni 31-4-2(12).



J'Leon Love(right) breaks through in round 6 against Simon(left)

The 44 year old challenger didn't merit the title shot and ultimately lost inside the distance to Wlodarczyk for the second time having drawn the first time they met.

Finally in America 'The Money Team' took to the ring with all but Lanell Bellows winning. Badou Jack 16-0-1(11) won in 6 rounds against Rogelio Medina while J'Leon Love 16-0(9) returned to the ring following a suspension to record a knockout in round 6 against former world title challenger Lajuan Simon.

Both Mickey Bey and Ashley Theophane returned from defeats to record victories in their respective bouts, while Luis Arias, Christopher Pearson, Cortez Bey and Andrew Tabiti all scored wins.

Lara-Trout, Bika-Dirrell, Alexander-Porter all looking to steal the show in Brooklyn

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler): 


From L-R: Bika, Lara, Alexander, Malignaggi, Hopkins,
Judah, Porter, Trout, Dirrell

Piecing an undercard together that will give fans an enjoyable night, one where they do not switch sides while waiting for the main attraction, is never the easiest of jobs, but when you have as many fighters and as many match-ups at their disposal as Golden Boy Promotions have then it shouldn't be too great a challenge.

Devon Alexander vs Shawn Porter as a main event on November 30th was tough to sell on its own, while Sakio Bika vs Anthony Dirrell always had undercard feature bout written all over it, with the seasoned pro, not widely known outside of boxing circles attempting to fend off the unbeaten pretender, hoping to burst onto the world scene. Then Erislandy Lara vs Austin Trout, which in all fairness has all the ingredients to headline an event on its own, but adding it to an already packed card, which sees Paulie Malignaggi vs Zab Judah as the headline bout, only enlightened fans eyes further.

The contest that takes, in many fans eyes, the label as the fight of the night is that between Light Middleweight southpaws Erislandy Lara 18-1-2(12) and Austin Trout 26-1(14). A contest that will see the winner claim the vacant WBA 'regular' Light Middleweight title, which one would assume will result in the victor being upgraded to WBA 'Super' champion when the governing body gets the picture that Floyd Mayweather has no intention of defending his crown.



Erislandy Lara (left) vs Austin Trout (right)

Lara has understandably been fast-tracked to world level and at the age of 30 and with such great amateur experience behind him the Cuban that now resides out of Miami has already faced his fair share of world class foes. Carlos Molina was unlucky though not to take home victory in their 2011 match-up, the contest was scored a draw after 10 rounds. That was before Lara was at the wrong end of far worse judging when he lost via majority decision to Paul Williams, who is now paralysed from the hips down after a motorcycle accident but is still full of belief that he will walk again. Then while biding his time Lara demolished Ronald Hearns (TKO 1) before beating Freddy Hernandez (UD 10).

This form was cut short when an uneventful bout against Vanes Martirosyan (TD 9) ended with no one wanting to see a second instalment. Both fighters received their fair share of criticism following the drab affair but Lara moved on to survive two knockdowns in a gripping victory over Alfredo Angulo (TKO 10), when the Cuban broke the tough Angulo's orbital bone, when marginally ahead on the scorecards.

So while Lara has mixed with plenty of world title contenders he has yet to face one of the true high flyers in the 154lb division. That is set to change tomorrow night when he faces the still underrated Austin Trout. Very little was made of the New Mexico fighter's rise to the top 10 in the division having bested Rigoberto Alvarez (UD 12) for the vacant WBA 'regular' title in 2011, and then Delvin Rodriguez (UD 12). But he became an overnight star when dominating Miguel Cotto (UD 12), in a bout where he grew stronger as the fight developed, finishing the contest in complete control. That was followed by the first defeat of his career, albeit a controversial one. Canelo Alvarez was handed the contest with some very poor scoring, 118-109 and 116-111 where the standout scorecards, while the other card of 115-112 was understandable in a close contest. The reading out of the scorecards after 8 rounds didn't help with Trout hearing that he needed a knockout to win, when in truth the fight should still have been in the balance. A rematch between the two must happen, and next time not in Texas.


Trouts'(centre) respectful nature & likeability have
made him a fan favourite outside the ropes

In spite of that defeat his two latter contests demonstrated why he is rated so highly and why he is the favourite to come out victorious on Saturday night. The respectful and honest nature of Trout has led him to a fine backing from boxing fans across the world, and a large following known as 'Trout Nation'.

While Lara's reach advantage will prove a problem for Trout, he never takes a round off and is never one to stick behind single shots, often doubling and tripling the jab. That work rate can trouble Lara when the Cuban slows his own tempo down and while Lara will have success it may only be in spurts. Trout who can use his clever movement to good effect, snapping in uppercuts and straight right hands, is the pick to win this contest on the scorecards in a tactically intriguing affair.

Sakio Bika 32-5-1(21) will have to use all of his 13 years experience to fend off the young challenger Anthony Dirrell 26-0(22) and brother of Andre Dirrell. Bika will be making the first defence of his WBC Super Middleweight title he acquired with a win over equally raw Marco Antonio Periban (MD 12).

Dirrell takes a step up in class but possesses a slight height advantage and 3inch reach advantage. He has also shown a mean streak as he has moved through the rankings recording wins over Renan St Juste (TKO 4), Anthony Hanshaw (TKO 3).

As for Bika he has seen every style there is to see, and on most occasions nullifies his opponents qualities, the long list includes Andre Ward (L UD 12), Peter Manfredo Jr (W TKO 4), Lucian Bute (L UD 12) and Joe Calzaghe (L UD 12).



Sakio Bika (left) vs Anthony Dirrell (right)

It is unlikely that Dirrell will become the first man to stop Bika but it is also hard to see the 34 year old Cameroonian being quite as effective as he was in his hey-day. Still it is rather ironic that Bika won his first world title when he was in decline. That in itself shows that Bika cannot be taken lightly, especially in the middle rounds when he is likely to have his best spell after a fast start from Dirrell. The final third will prove tough for Bika but he will swing wildly to the very end in order to retain his title, but Dirrell's accuracy will be enough for him to take the victory on the scorecards.

Finally Devon Alexander 25-1(14) will make the first defence of the IBF Welterweight title he won last October. Several postponements for a potential match-up with Kell Brook resulted in Alexander finally lacing up against replacement Lee Purdy (W RTD 7), which did not see Alexander's title on the line after Purdy failed to make weight.

His first challenger will be a man that seems to have been waiting in the shadows for years, Shawn Porter 22-0-1(14). The 26 year old challenger has kept himself active while waiting for his opportunity recording wins over Alfonso Gomez (UD 10) and unbeaten Phil Lo Greco (UD 10), while a draw with Julio Diaz halted his progress in between those wins, before taking a comfortable win over Diaz (UD 10) last time out.



Devon Alexander (left) vs Shawn Porter (right)

Alexander is the heavy favourite having moved up from Light Welterweight where he suffered his only defeat to Timothy Bradley (TD 10), but at the age of 26 the St Louis fighter has already recorded several big wins, Junior Witter (RTD 8), Juan Urango (TKO 8), Andriy Kotelnik (UD 12), Lucas Matthysse (UD 10), Marcos Maidana (UD 10) and Randall Bailey (UD 12).

Porter of Akron, a city in Ohio well known for being the home of basketball superstar LeBron James, will be wary of becoming stuck behind the sharp jab of Alexander for long periods. Alexander's speed will prove a constant problem from the opening bell and it's likely to be a puzzle Porter will never fathom. Alexander can control the contest, stepping in with sharp, long uppercuts and hooks to take a shut-out points victory.

Guillermo Rigondeaux-Joseph Agbeko Preview

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler):

Agbeko(right) clearly has the height advantage against Rigondeaux(left)

The boxing sensation is back, its been seemingly a life-time since Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux dominated Nonito Donaire for a clear unanimous decision win. The victory was masterful, new superlatives to describe one of the greatest - if not the greatest - amateur boxers of all time are running thin. Two of the scorecards reading 115-112 and 114-113 did not tell the true story of how dominant Rigo was on April 13th.

Boxing fans around the globe have issued Rigo with the credit he deserves - even those that describe him as "boring" gave him his dues after this victory. Since a fight between Rigo and Donaire had first been mentioned I had stated my case for why Rigo would come out victorious and the fight went exactly the way I had envisioned, Rigo's class shone that night.

Sadly not everyone could afford Rigo such praise. His own promoter Bob Arum could hardly hide his disappointment that Donaire had lost, and lost badly. Arum could only slander Rigo's fighting style, stating he needed to fight in a more 'fan-friendly' style and that he would be hard to sell. Yet ironically had nothing but positives to say of Manny Pacquiao's one-sided win over Brandon Rios.  So Bob, why aren't you telling Pacquiao he needs to be more exciting, considering very few would claim that Pacquiao-Rios was more entertaining than Rigondeaux-Donaire?


Break-down: Rigondeaux proved to be on another level vs Donaire

As you can tell my opinion of Arum is very low, which is why I will move on and talk about the fighters, generally the most important people in this industry.

Rigondeaux 12-0(8) will defend his WBA and WBO Super Bantamweight titles against the teak-tough Ghanaian Joseph Agbeko 29-4(22). Not an easy assignment, despite the 33 year old Agbeko only fighting once in the past 24 months.

The exciting Agbeko who resides out of New York has mixed with the best at Bantamweight, previously facing, Wladimir Sidorenko (L MD 12), Vic Darchinyan (W UD 12), Yonnhy Perez (L UD 12 & W UD 12) and Abner Mares (L MD 12 & L UD 12). Not a bad resume, and he merited a victory in the first encounter with Mares when the eventual winner landed over a dozen low blows, including one that resulted in a knockdown when the blow was clearly way below the belt. Mares was fortunate to survive a disqualification or at the very least a couple point deductions that ultimately would have seen Agbeko as the victor.

Agbeko carries power in his sometimes wild shots, but hasn't scored a stoppage win since 2007, and moving up to Super Bantamweight will either bring the power back or diminish it further.

Either way the elusive Cuban will be hard to hit and the wild swings will be avoided and countered. Rigondeaux is not known as a powerful puncher but usually drops his opponents with the general speed of his punches, and that will likely be the case on Saturday.

I envision Agbeko hitting the canvas once or twice as Rigo picks him off throughout the contest. And while Agbeko will continue to push and throw punches, judges will be hard pressed to afford him more than a couple of rounds in another dominant performance from Guillermo Rigondeaux.

On a must-see undercard Glen Tapia 20-0(12) takes a step up in class when facing knockout artist James Kirkland 31-1(27).


Don't blink: Tapia(left) is explosive in the ring while Kirkland(right) is
explosive both in and out of the ring

The boxing bad boy from Texas has been out of the ring for 21 months after yet another stint behind bars. Kirkland is far from a polished boxer but considering he only has 1 defeat on his resume despite his beyond-the-ropes troubles. A first round defeat to Nobuhiro Ishida was likely a result of the time out of the ring following his second prison sentence, but a 6th round stoppage of Alfredo Angulo proved exactly how tough this 'Mandingo Warrior' is.

Still Tapia can punch himself, but is known more for his skills and ability to break down his opponents, having not displayed that power at the level Kirkland has fought at. Tapia will take confidence from the way in which Carlos Molina out boxed Kirkland last year before he was harshly disqualified in the 10th round after his corner entered the ring. Then again Tapia will be easier to draw into a slugfest than Molina, who is more of a spoiler while Tapia loves to entertain the crowd as well as entertain himself.

The feeling is that this fight may not go long, which will be an incredible shame, albeit the 6 rounds that Kirkland and Angulo shared was fight of the year material. If Tapia becomes involved early the pick will be for Kirkland to throw all he can, finishing Tapia inside 3 rounds. On the other hand if Tapia can survive the early onslaught he can become more involved as the fight goes along, as Kirkland slows down. This way Tapia can finish a tired Kirkland around the 6th session.

Also on the undercard Matthew Macklin 29-5(20) will take on Willie Nelson replacement Lamar Russ 14-0(7).

Macklin is in a must-win situation following the 3rd stoppage defeat of his career when counted out in the third round against Gennady Golovkin. While fellow defeats to Sergio Martinez (RTD 11) and Felix Sturm (SD 12), a controversial decision, are no embarrassment, the Birmingham man may be running out of chances.

Tough as it gets: Russ(right) has sparred with Golovkin(right)

The reward for a win on Saturday could be a St Patricks day clash with Andy Lee, but Russ will be the one to receive the biggest reward if he can shock the odds. This will be a huge step up in class for Russ but it may be perfect timing against the 31 year old Macklin. It's also unlikely Russ will fear Macklin's power, having sparred with the ferocious Gennady Golovkin, and will be feeling very confident following his recent sparring wars with the Middleweight number 1.

Macklin's win over Joachim Alcine (KO 1) was impressive but the Canadian is a Light Middleweight and has lost 3 fights in a row since facing Macklin.

While the logical choice would be for Macklin to walk Russ down, who will try to keep the contest at range, I have the slightest feeling that Russ will come of age at Boardwalk Hall, outscoring Macklin in this 10 round bout.



Maccarinelli-Fry: Bombs away in Liverpool

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler):

While the Swansea veteran won't be the main attraction for fans at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, he could potentially be involved in the fight of the night. Enzo Maccarinelli defends his Commonwealth Light Heavyweight title against the light hitting former Prizefighter semi-finalist Courtney Fry.

Enzo 37-6(29) was involved in a cracker last time out when winning the title off Ovill McKenzie (W TKO 11), avenging a previous defeat inside 2 rounds. The Welshman has been involved in several thrilling encounters, and while he has bagged plenty of stunning victories it has also cost him dear, with all 6 defeats coming by way of knockout. Outside of his defeat to the hard-hitting McKenzie all 5 have come at Cruiserweight, meaning that Fry will likely be looking to become the first man to beat Maccarinelli on the cards.

Fry 18-3(6) is not to be taken lightly by the favourite, as Fry's only defeats came against McKenzie (PTS 4) and that was by a single point, Tony Oakey (UD 3) in the Prizefighter semi-final and Nathan Cleverly (TKO 8), his only stoppage defeat against the former WBO Light Heavyweight champion. But having only beaten 5 fighters with winning records, it seems hard to make a big case for Fry taking this contest.

If Fry is to win then he must stick to the outside, but his slightly shorter reach will make for more problems than solutions. Maccarinelli is open at most times but while Fry will win rounds and land more than his fair share of clubbing shots, the Welshman can come through those punches, grinding Fry down for a 10th round stoppage.

A rival for fight of the night will surely come from the packed Lightweight division where Stephen Ormond 15-1(7) defends his WBO European title against the impossible to deter, Derry Matthews 34-8-2(19). Derry will be buoyed by the rapturous reception he will receive from his home fans and his recent stunning 4th round stoppage of Curtis Woodhouse and come-from-behind 10th round stoppage of Tommy Coyle.

The Commonwealth champion is already set to defend that title against unbeaten Richard Commey next March. It is impossible to say that Matthews avoids the best in his division domestically, but Saturday night will be yet another test of his brilliant resolve.

Irishman Ormond's only defeat came at the hands of Paul Appleby in a close encounter last March and his last two victories over Adam Mate (TKO 1) and Adam Dingsdale (UD 10) demonstrated the improvements he's made.

While it is hard to ever write Matthews off and the fact that Ormond is yet to face anyone at the same level as the hometown hero, the pick is for Ormond to follow Coyle's blueprint before showing true Irish grit late on to take a unanimous decision win.

Also in action to delight the home fans is Liam Smith 15-0-1(5) who will likely go the distance to beat Mark Thompson 25-3(15) in the first defence of his British Light Middleweight crown.

Having outscored Erick Ochieng last time out Smith will be full of confidence to keep on track but the experienced Thompson will not make anything easy for the shorter Smith.

The untested Ruben Montoya 12-1-1(8) will offer little threat to Paul Butler's unbeaten record. Butler 13-0(7) can delight his home faithful with a stoppage inside 5 rounds.

Finally Joe Selkirk 11-0(5) can outpoint Ronnie Heffron's replacement Zoltan Sera 12-0(8) to claim the WBO European Light Middleweight title. Fingers crossed that Selkirk will be in with Heffron or Liam Smith early next year.


Elsewhere in Newcastle, Martin Ward 17-2(4) has a tough assignment when he challenges for the vacant Commonwealth Bantamweight crown against Gabriel Odoi Laryea 16-2-2(11).

The Ghanaian Laryea has bounced back from losing his first two professional fights and will offer Ward a stern test. Laryea will take confidence from Ward's stoppage defeats to journeyman Mickey Coveney (L TKO 2) and in May, Lee Haskins (L TKO 5).

Laryea can bang but the pick is for Ward to pull away down the stretch taking a close but unanimous decision win.

Friday world title night

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler):



On Friday night world titles will be on the line, from Australia to Japan and to the USA to kick off an insane weekend of boxing.

First up in Australia is the rarely challenged Chris John 48-0-3(22) of Indonesia as he defends his WBA 'Super' and IBO Featherweight titles. Coming off the back of a 3rd round technical draw with Satoshi Hosono, his only contest in 2013 he defends for the 18th time against Simpiwe Vetyeka 25-2(15).

During those 18 defences John has faced Juan Manuel Marquez (W UD 12), Daud Cino Yordan (W UD 12) and Rocky Juarez twice (D 12 & W UD 12). These are the most recognisable names on his resume, but the fact that he has remained unbeaten, only drawing once after 12 rounds - the other two draws were technical draws after 3 & 4 rounds respectively - is extremely impressive, but at 34 years old there is an increased likelihood that he could age over night.

Vetyeka impressed last time out when he stopped Yordan in the 12th round, but his only other contest at the same level came when he lost to Hozumi Hasegawa (L UD 12), albeit there were only 4 and 3 points in that contest.

Vetyeka is a live underdog so long as he doesn't perform in the same manner as he did in his only other defeat to Klaas Mboyane (L SD 8). With Spadafora losing his long unbeaten record - it was 48-0-1, eerily similar to John's - last week it is a reminder to John just how hard it is to remain unbeaten in this sport, especially when fighting at a high level for so long. Still the pick is for John to sneak home with a close decision victory in his toughest fights in recent years.

On the undercard Daud Cino Yordan 31-3(23) will have to produce a top performance to see of Sipho Taliwe 21-3-1(14) to take a victory on points.

In Japan Akira Yaegashi 18-3(9) will have a tough time holding onto his WBC Flyweight title when he faces Edgar Sosa 49-7(29).



Can Sosa(left vs Solis) end a fabulous year on a high

It will be Yaegashi's second defence after stunning Toshiyuki Igarashi in April after moving up from Minimumweight. At the lighter weight class he lost a world title shot in his 7th professional outing, Eagle Den Junlaphan (L UD 12), suffered another setback before building his way back up to a 2nd title shot. This time he won against WBA 'Regular' champion Pornsawan Porpramook (W TKO 10) before losing his title next time out in a unification fight with WBC kingpin Kazuto Ioka (L UD 12).

His challenger Sosa has a rather deceiving record, with 5 of those 7 defeats coming in his first 17 fights and two of those came at the hands of former IBF Light Flyweight champion Ulises Solis (L SD 8 & L MD 12). Then since 2007 he has recorded wins over Brian Viloria (MD 12), Sonny Boy Jaro (UD 12), Pornsawan Porpramook (TKO 4), Ulises Solis (KO 2) and Giovanni Segura (UD 12).

Those final two both came this year and a win against Yaegashi would cap off a very impressive 2013. With his recent form I expect Sosa to do just that, pushing Yaegashi onto the back foot throughout and outworking the home fighter before receiving a wide unanimous decision win.

To cap off a night of world title action, we head to America where Polish WBC Cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk 48-2-1(34) makes his 6th defence when he faces an old rival, Italian veteran Giacobbe Fragomeni 31-3-2(12).

Wlodarczyk's only world title defeat came at the hands of Steve Cunningham (L MD 12) who he had beaten in the fight prior (W SD 12). Wlodarczyk then collided with Fragomeni for the first time in 2009 when the Pole dropped the former WBC champion in the 9th round before the fight was scored a draw. A rematch was set up a year later and this time Wlodarczyk didn't let the Italian off the hook, stopping him in the 8th round. Since then he has routinely worked his way past challengers Jason Robinson (W UD 12), Francisco Palacios (W SD 12 & W UD 12), Danny Green (W TKO 11) and Rakhim Chakhkiev (W TKO 8). His last defence against Chakhkiev saw four knockdowns, three suffered by the challenger.


3rd time unlucky: Fragomeni(left) has a tall order against Wlodarczyk(right)

The 44 year old Fragomeni has done little since that defeat to merit this title shot, but gets it thanks to a draw and a win over Silvio Branco where he picked up the WBC 'Silver' Cruiserweight title.

Fragomeni who also has defeats against Zsolt Erdei (L MD 12) and David Haye (L TKO 9) will likely be stopped again here as fans will hope Wlodarczyk moves on to IBF Cruiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez or WBO king Marco Huck next year.

The Money Team set to bounce back

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler):


Point to prove: Badou Jack(left) and J'Leon Love(right) ahead of Friday

Floyd Mayweather rarely experiences a tough night in the ring, but the same can't be said of the fighters contesting under his promotional banner. J'Leon Love controversially beat the often undervalued Gabriel Rosado over 10 rounds before the decision was changed to a no-contest following Love testing positive for a banned diuretic. Badou Jack had to settle for a draw with former world title challenger Marco Antonio Periban last time out. Mickey Bey was ahead on all three scorecard when he was stunned in the 10th and final round by John Molina while Ashley Theophane narrowly lost out against Pablo Cesar Cano.

It's not what you would call an easy 2013 on the promotional front for the pound-for-pound star, but he and his team can't be accused of matching his star students easy. All four of the aforementioned boxers were last matched with recent world title challengers and only Ashley Theophane 33-6-1(10) had surpassed 20 fights.

In the projected main event, J'Leon Love 15-0(8) returns to take on two time world title challenger Lajuan Simon 23-4-2(12). Simon is 34 and hasn't fought since 2011 when he was taken out inside a round by Gennady Golovkin. Prior to that December 2011 clash he hadn't fought since December 2010 when he lost a split decision to gatekeeper Dionisio Miranda, making some wonder how on earth he got a 2nd world title shot.

Simon could have rested on his laurels, but coming back to the ring only lands him as a gatekeeper himself, one that has shared the ring with 'GGG', Arthur Abraham (L UD 12) and Sebastian Sylvester (L UD 12). That is the case here as Love looks to get back on track, and he can do so with a comfortable points victory, although a stoppage win would be mighty impressive.



Last ditch: John Molina(right) denied Mickey Bey(left) a big win

Badou Jack 15-0-1(10) is in a similar fight as Love as he takes on Rogelio Medina 31-4(25) who encounters his 3rd fight in four months. Medina carries a padded record, but even that couldn't save him from two 6th round stoppage loses and another two loses in his last 3 fights. Having recently turned 30, Jack will be looking to push on with his world title aspirations, and a draw last time out put those hopes to one side for the moment. But the Swedish born fighter can rip through Medina, taking the victory inside 6 rounds.

Mickey Bey 18-1-1(9) will also contest in a 10 round fight against Venezuelan Carlos Cardenas 20-6-1(13). Cardenas' record suggest we can expect nothing less than an easy Bey win, although a stoppage victory will depend on how much Bey wishes to impress, or whether he'll remain cautious following his last gasp defeat last time out.

Former British champion Ashley Theophane has had a problem with motivational problems in the past, which cost him dear when he shockingly lost his British crown to Darren Hamilton last year. But abroad he has been in his element, even scoring easy victories over journeyman similar to Friday nights opponent Robert Osiobe 14-7-4(6). Theo' also lost out narrowly to Light Welterweight star Danny Garcia (L SD 10) while also contentiously beating Delvin Rodriguez (W MD 10).


One for the future: Luis Arias(centre) takes on advice from Love(left)

Theophane's chances of a world title tilt look to be running thin after a close defeat to Cano, but that same defeat may also help him on his way to more big fights. Evgeny Gradovich couldn't stop Osiobe but that was down at Super Featherweight. Theophane can become the first man to halt Osiobe in this Welterweight bout.

More names to look out for in the future are Luis Arias 7-0(3) and Christopher Pearson 9-0(8) who can both record wins in their respective 8 round contests.

Lanell Bellows 6-0-1(5), Cortez Bey 8-1-1(4) - Mickey's brother - and Andrew Tabiti 2-0(2) also feature on the Showtime televised card.

Paulie Malignaggi vs Zab Judah: Brooklyn's finest

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler): 


Turf War: Judah(left) and Malignaggi(right) representing their
neighbourhoods in Brooklyn

In any sport local derbies always have that little more edge to them, and boxing is no exception. So when two Brooklynites collide at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, home of the Brooklyn Nets, there will be an added ingredient to an already spicy main event.

Firstly this contest between Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah likely would not have been the main attraction had both fighters not been Brooklyn born and bred, especially when you consider that Austin Trout-Erislandy Lara is on the undercard. Also you have to consider that both fighters are in the autumn of their careers and have a combined 13 defeats between them, 7 of those coming in the last 5 years. But never mind where they are right now in their careers it is where they have been that signals this as a fight that was always destined to happen, albeit many would have loved to have seen it a few years ago, better late than never I guess.

All this is not to say that Paulie and Zab aren't still world class boxers. Both are coming off the back of loses, but in those contests both gave their younger and fresher rivals more than they bargained for. Malignaggi 32-5(7) pushed Adrien Broner all the way before losing his WBA 'world' Welterweight title on a split decision, while Judah 42-8(29) gave unbeaten Danny Garcia quite a scare, before ultimately losing a close unanimous decision.

33 year old Malignaggi comes into the contest as the favourite, he's seen it all and done it all, sharing the ring with some of the best fighters of his generation, but he is a fighter who misses that defining win. You could point to a rematch win over Juan Diaz (UD 12) or an impressive stoppage of Vyacheslav Senchenko (TKO 9) on away soil as his defining victories but with defeats against Miguel Cotto (L UD 12), Ricky Hatton (L TKO 11), Juan Diaz (L UD 12) in their first encounter, Amir Khan (L TKO 11) and Adrien Broner (L SD 12). So as you can see while the enigmatic fighter only loses to the best, on most occasions he comes up short in those big fights.

If he is to defeat Judah, it is hard to say whether this will be put under the category of a defining win, considering his opponent is now 36 years old, or if this will be lined up in the same list as wins over; Lovemore Ndou (UD 12 & SD 12), Herman Ngoudjo (UD 12) and Pablo Cesar Cano (SD 12).



Malignaggi lands more but Broner scores the eye-catching blows

It's hard to argue against Judah's legitimacy in the Hall of Fame, his problem hasn't come finding a career defining win, it's been finding true consistency in his performances. He has been in the world title picture for over a decade, and was once one of the top fighters on the planet, and with wins over Jan Piet Bergman (KO 4), Junior Witter (UD 12), Reggie Green (TKO 10), DeMarcus Corley (SD 12), Cory Spinks (TKO 9) and Lucas Matthysse (SD 12), on his resume its no surprise why. But since 2005 Zab is 8-6 with 1 no-contest and his biggest win since his glory days was against Matthysse and most had the Argentinian ahead. Still wins over Vernon Paris (TKO 9) and Kazier Mabuza (TKO 7) have proven he is still a legit world title contender.

In his glorious career Judah has only been stopped on three occasions, Amir Khan (L KO 5), Miguel Cotto (L TKO 11) and Kotsya Tszyu (L KO 2). While other defeats have come against Cory Spinks (L UD 12), Carlos Baldomir (L UD 12), Floyd Mayweather (L UD 12), Joshua Clottey (L TD 9) and Danny Garcia (L UD 12). All 8 of his loses have come in world title fights.

So while Judah's resume sparkles, fighting does not take place on paper and Malignaggi comes in as the slightly fresher fighter and in good form. His victory over Cano was met with more than a few murmurs of a bad decision, but it seems now that Paulie may have just underestimated his challenger as he faded down the stretch, but Cano's work rate also seemed to cause the former champion problems, something Broner had little of.

Can Judah set a tempo that will trouble Malignaggi? At 36 that is a tough ask and it is likely to be fought at a pace that will suit both fighters, in terms of not fading in the latter rounds. Both boxers will also be heavily motivated for this contest, something that is vital at this stage in their respective careers.

Besting the best: Judah(right) dropped and stopped Cory Spinks

The winner will have more motivational fights on the horizon but for the loser it'll be hard to envision them receiving the contests that will draw huge interest.

Malignaggi has evidently struggled with smart, aggressive fighters and the speed of Khan also caused him plenty of trouble. Judah has both speed and smarts in abundance and will need every drop of experience to win this contest. If he can keep stepping in and out of range Judah can use his 2 inch reach advantage to full effect, especially if Malignaggi takes the back foot.

Both are tough and can take their fare share of shots, so it is unlikely there'll be an early ending in this contest, and every single round could be so crucial in what is expected to be a tactical encounter.

The pick is for Judah to aim for the body early, hoping he can slow Malignaggi down for later in the contest, while Paulie will look to counter Judah's leads. Garcia could hardly miss with the straight right against Judah and I expect Malignaggi to have the same successes here, taking the early advantage at the half way stage of the contest. Judah will begin to come into the contest in the second half, the left hand down the middle will no longer be aimed at the body, as Judah will start to land the headshots as Paulie's movement slows down. Unfortunately for Judah the late charge may come just too late again, losing a very close maybe spilt decision in a contest that grows more exciting as it goes along.

Adonis Stevenson vs Tony Bellew: Bomb resistance needed for Bellew

By Peter Wells (@boxingsaddler):

Talking a good fight: But Stevenson(right) & Bellew(left) usually deliver

Many laughed at Adonis Stevenson when he sat waiting as mandatory challenger for the IBF and WBC titles back at Super Middleweight, but the Canadian born in Haiti ignored the ignorance of boxing fans and press alike. He bided his time before springing at the opportunity he was afforded by Chad Dawson in June this year. Adonis 22-1(19) and his team were the only ones convinced he would win, and he made fools of us all when he demolished Dawson in one round. Stevenson always knew he would have the last laugh.

Now the tables have turned and his opponent on Saturday night in Quebec City will be the man dismissed as nothing more than an obstacle in the way of Stevenson's nights in the spotlight. But Liverpool's Tony Bellew 20-1-1(12) is out on a mission, the same mission that Stevenson took in order to prove why he dubbed himself 'Superman'.

Bellew will need to produce a super human performance to overturn the odds, but the assured fighter almost upset the applecart back in 2011 when he narrowly lost to British rival Nathan Cleverly, his only previous world title bout. Since that first defeat Bellew has mixed with decent fringe contenders in a poor Light Heavyweight division that outside of stars Bernard Hopkins, Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson isn't flourishing with talent, although the winner of a highly anticipated contest between Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal will have something to say about that.

Tony has beaten a faded Edison Miranda (TKO 9), an untested Roberto Feliciano Bolonti (UD 12) before drawing with Isaac Chilemba when many observers had Chilemba slightly ahead. He then improved considerably in the second encounter with Chilemba as he won a unanimous decision. But the real concerns surrounding Bellew, who has undeniably improved in recent years, are his struggles at domestic level. He survived a torrid time with Ovill McKenzie (W TKO 8), suffering two knockdowns in the first 2 rounds. Prior to that Bob Ajisafe (W UD 12) had Bellew on the canvas as did journeyman Jevgenijs Andrejevs (W PTS 4).

Bellew is the only one who has shown vulnerabilities in the defensive department as Stevenson's only defeat came by way of knockout when he was stunned by rugged journeyman Darnell Boone (L TKO 2). In defence of Stevenson it was only his 14th fight and immaturity will have been to blame, which is much the same with Bellew. Since that defeat Stevenson has been on fire, stopping all of his opponents including Aaron Pryor Jr (TKO 9), Jesus Gonzalez (KO 1), Don George (TKO 12) a revenge over Darnell Boone (KO 6), Chad Dawson (KO 1) and Tavoris Cloud (RTD 7). Again much like Bellew outside of Dawson and Cloud none of those opponents were world beaters, but his power in each of those victories was apparent and scary.

Power: Adonis put as much into that left hand as he
did into his celebration afterwards

In the case of his victory over former IBF champion Cloud, Stevenson surprised many when he boxed his way to victory, schooling Cloud even more comprehensively than Bernard Hopkins earlier this year. Adonis erased any fears over him being a one-dimensional fighter, and he will require that versatility against Bellew on Saturday.

So while the whole of the UK will be routing for Bellew, he is at a huge disadvantage in many departments. If he brings in the straight right hand against the southpaw boxer he instantly brings into play Stevenson's most potent weapon, the straight left hand, an error many of Adonis' previous opponents have made. And while Bellew arguably has the better jab, the sheer speed of Adonis will trouble Bellew if he tries to outbox the home fighter. Then comes the power, and while Bellew will find openings of his own, his punches had very little effect on Isaac Chilemba and it is unlikely they'll cause much effect on Stevenson either.

The pick is for Bellew to start tentatively, attempting not to offer Stevenson with an early chance at levelling him with the left hand. As the fight closes in on the half way stage Stevenson's power will start to tell and Bellew will stick to the outside, allowing Stevenson to control the contest at his pace. But Bellew being the warrior he is, it's unlikely he'll settle for just second best as he pushes to disrupt Stevenson's rhythm. Ultimately though this go for broke attitude will cost Bellew in the end as he leaves himself more and more open as the contest progresses, eventually one clean left hand will connect and the fight will be over, likely between rounds 8-10. Bellew will receive many plaudits after the fight but Stevenson will once again prove that his reign as WBC Light Heavyweight champion is no fluke.

On the undercard, Sergey Kovalev 22-0-1(20) looks to defend his WBO Light Heavyweight title against Ismayl Sillakh 21-1(17).

The Russian that dethroned Nathan Cleverly will be looking to set up a mouth watering unification fight with Stevenson and will likely set it up in style, stopping the game Sillakh in 5 rounds.

Championship night in the Philippines

By Peter Wells (twitter- @boxingsaddler):

While the Philippines have been ravaged by tragedy in the last month, superstar Manny Pacquiao brought back some elation to his beloved nation when he dominated Brandon Rios last weekend. Now on Saturday night, boxing returns to the Philippines as two of the countries world champions look to defend their respective crowns.

Boxing in the Philippines is rarely aired worldwide which will come as a disappointment to those that hear or read about the contests later on. Many fight of the year candidates have gone unnoticed in such countries as the Philippines and Thailand where lightning fast stars entertain hundreds with their all offence styles in the blissful heat. 

On Saturday WBO Minimumweight champion Merlito Sabillo 23-0(12) defends his title for the first time after dethroning Jorle Estrada in 9 rounds last time out.  His opponent Carlos Buitrago 27-0(16) of Nicaragua will likely deliver a much sterner test having bested unbeaten Julian Yedras last time out. 

But it is Sabillo who enters the contest hitting the peak of his career, coming in off the back of 5 stoppage victories including a notable 8^th round TKO of Luis de la Rosa in Columbia. But prior to his two recent wins Sabillo had not contested with any fighter at the same level as Buitrago who has mixed with slightly sterner opposition in his 5 years as a professional.

Sabillo known as a very good body puncher will look to break Buitrago down early as the two unbeaten combatants go toe-to-toe. Buitrago who hits harder than any of Sabillo’s previous opponents may force himself into the lead by the half way stage, keeping his guard tight before firing in the right hand against the southpaw champion, while his favoured left hook will also keep Sabillo honest. That will be countered regularly by the straight left from Sabillo whose fast hands could cause problems for Buitrago as the fight wears on. Behind on the scorecards Sabillo can rally late, finally chopping down the tough 21 year old challenger, stopping him in the 10^th round of a thoroughly entertaining contest.

Also featuring is one of the Philippines more well-known world champions, Donnie Nietes 31-1-4(17) who defends his WBO Light Flyweight title for the third time after claiming it back in 2011. His challenger will be the tough but limited Sammy Gutierrez 33-9-2(23) of Mexico.

Donnie the former WBO Minimumweight champion has barely put a foot wrong since outpointing Pornsawan Porpramook in 2007. That victory has been followed by wins over Erik Ramirez (UD 12) whom he floored four times yet still only won by a close margin on all three cards, Manuel Vargas (SD 12), Ramon Garcia Hirales (UD 12) and Felipe Salguero (UD 12). In his last contest he drew with Moises Fuentes, who is, outside of Porpramook by far his toughest opponent to date.

So while Nietes may have been fortunate in some of his encounters, his opponent Gutierrez has had no such luck finding himself at the wrong end of split and majority decision defeats to Raul Garcia before losing in 3 rounds in their 3^rd contest last December – Sammy’s last contest. He has also suffered at the hands of Nkosinathi Joyi (L TKO 7) after flooring the South African in the 5^th, and Juan Palacios (L UD 12) as well as 4 others. His only other stoppage defeat came at the hands of the little known Armando Torres (L TKO 8).

Nietes has a solid defence, but has been a victim of a lack of bustle in the ring, spending too much time looking for the perfect counterpunch. This could allow Gutierrez to outwork the champion, but the Mexican usually seems quite messy when he fires his shots which will give plenty of opportunities for Nietes to let his hands go, not like against Fuentes who boasted an equally tight guard. Gutierrez will struggle to land throughout but Nietes does not seem to have the power to force a stoppage and will have to settle for a comprehensive points win after a relatively one-sided contest. Bigger tests lie in wait for Nietes and fans will hope that he takes on those challenges with Nkosinathi Joyi and Adrien Hernandez hounding the Light Flyweight division while a rematch may be in the pipeline with Fuentes next year.

Elsewhere Jason Pegara 31-2(19) can stop Vladimir Baez 19-1-2(17) in possibly the fight of the night, albeit neither fighter will pose much of a challenge to a packed Light Welterweight world scene.
 

In another exciting encounter Milan Melindo 29-1(12) can outpoint Jose Alfredo Rodriguez 29-2(18) in a Flyweight contest.

Also in action on a separate card in America is the heavily tattooed and still unbeaten Paul Spadafora 48-0-1(19).

The former IBF Lightweight champion has wins over Israel Cardona (UD 12), Renato Cornett (TKO 11), Billy Irwin (UD 12), Angel Manfredy (UD 12) and Dennis Holbaek Pederson (UD 12). Now he will be hoping that a win over Johan Perez 17-1-1(12) for the interim WBA Light Welterweight title will bring him the big money fights he craves, and at the age of 38 not many more opportunities are out there for Spadafora.

Perez will be up for this contest as well, his only defeat coming via a technical decision to Pablo Cesar Cano when the fight was still very close. A victory last time out against Yoshihiro Kamegai (UD 10) will give the Venezuelan confidence he can upset the apple-cart and the counterpunching style that Spadafora applies may well be becoming less effective as he nears 40. As luck usually goes Perez will beat Spadafora, spoiling any chances of a shot at the big time for the Pittsburgh fighter. But the safe pick is for Spadafora to still have enough to make Perez miss, but it will be a tight and it will be a clear indication that time on the world scene is running thin for Spadafora to make a splash.  

                                                                                                                                                                    

Froch-Groves Undercard Preview

By Peter Wells (twitter- @boxingsaddler):

Despite the loss of a cracking British lightweight battle between Martin Gethin and Anthony Crolla, the undercard is still jam packed with exciting action.

Quigg(left) & Silva(right) ahead of their world title showdown

Scott Quigg defends his WBA 'world' Super Bantamweight title against Argentinian Diego Oscar Silva.

Silva 29-2-4(15) was stopped in 3 rounds by Fernando Montiel back in 2009 at Bantamweight and holds very few victories of note. An 11th round stoppage win over Alex De Oliveira was his best win to date but last time out in June he drew with Nestor Hugo Paniagua who was stopped in a round by a 4-0 Yuriokis Gamboa.

The man who has only fought once outside of South America will have it all to do against Quigg 26-0-2(19) who comes off the back of a draw as well. But Quigg drew with talented but still developing Yoandris Salinas just last month. It is incredible to see a world champion defending his title so quickly, but after the opening few rounds the fans will see why Quigg didn't need a layoff for this voluntary defence. Quigg can impress in front of his home fans, stopping Silva in the second half of the contest.

In a slightly more taxing affair, Rocky Fielding will make the first defence of his Commonwealth Super Middleweight title against the local Luke Blackledge.

Fielding 16-0(9) has been moving through the development stage very smoothly, beating Mohammad Akrong in just one round last time out. Blackledge 14-1-2(5) however gave a good account of himself against unbeaten Erik Skoglund(L UD 10) and destroyed Mads Larson(KO 4) who had previously gone 7 rounds with Brian Magee and the distance with Sven Ottke. He also has points wins over Phill Fury and Matthew Barney.

However the pick is for Fielding to follow Skoglund's lead and take a points victory over the 12 round distance.

In another 12 rounder Anthony Crolla steps in with late replacement Stephen Foster Jr. As Crolla waits for his British title fight with Martin Gethin to be rescheduled for next year.

Foster has campaigned most of his career at Super Featherweight but with the short notice the former European Super Featherweight champion won't mind being sparred any added gruelling weight loss. Foster's only defeats come to top domestic and European opposition, Derry Matthews(UD 12), Alex Arthur(UD 12), Ermano Fegatilli(UD 12) and Gary Buckland(RTD 8). But that 3rd defeat to Fegatilli seemed to take all the sting out of the 33 year olds career.

Crolla 26-4-1(9) has endured quite a rollercoaster career, early career defeats to journeyman Youssef Al Hamidi(UD 8) and the former British Super Featherweight champion Gary Sykes(PTS 10). This was followed by a winning streak that resulted in a British title fight victory over John Watson(TKO 9) before a successful defence against Wille Limond(UD 12).



No mistakes allowed: Crolla(left) must beat Foster(right)

So just as things were moving smoothly for Anthony he was struck by another defeat this time to Derry Matthews(TKO 6) whom he later drew with over 12 rounds. A second defeat to Sykes(SD 3) this time in Prizefighter has been followed by victories over Kieran Farrell(UD 10) and most impressively Gavin Rees(MD 12).

So with erratic form it can be hard to predict what to expect from Crolla but Foster will not be in great shape for this contest having been called up at short notice and with a British title shot in the pipeline Crolla can score a late stoppage victory.

Also on the card is Stephen Smith 17-1(10) lining up his root to a world title shot against WBC Super Featherweight champion Takashi Miura. Firstly the former British champion who vacated the title to leave Frank Warren will have to navigate his way past Sergio Manuel Medina 39-6-1(21).

The Argentinian who lost last time out to Fernando David Saucedo, who Smith will face in a final eliminator if he is victorious, will remain in the contest for the opening few rounds but Smith can use his speed advantage to full use, taking a unanimous decision at the end of the 10 rounds.

Also in action and all expected to win are Scott Cardle 12-0(2) who can beat Krzysztof Szot 17-8-1(5) on points. Jamie McDonnell 21-2-1(9) who was harshly stripped of his IBF Bantamweight title can beat Bernard Inom 22-3-1(10) over 8 rounds, while Khalid Yafai 9-0(6) and Luke Campbell 3-0(3) can both score stoppages over Abigail Medina 9-2-2(5) and Morgan Duthes 5-0(1) respectively. Finally Andy Lee 30-2(21) can make short work of Ferenc Hafner 21-4(12)

Carl Froch vs George Groves: Disrespectful warfare

By Peter Wells (twitter- @boxingsaddler):

Best of enemies: Froch(right) taunts Groves(left) during a heated weigh-in

It's so simple to compare the glorified brutality of boxing to old tales of wars and heroes. All that is needed is two warriors of differing personalities or a considerable underdog or a bitter rivalry. Better still, you could have all three of those ingredients and the metaphors and similes will roll off the tongue as fast as Floyd Mayweather hits the pads. The fairy-tale here is simple; can the Saint slay the Cobra?

After a long and hefty build up these two best of enemies Carl Froch 31-2(22) and George Groves 19-0(15) meet in the ring on Saturday night in front of a packed out Phones 4U Arena in Manchester(still known to many as the M.E.N Arena).


Groves comes in as the young pretender, disrespecting the cream of the crop in the British pound-for-pound rankings. And following three none too taxing stoppage wins he has earned his status as Froch's mandatory challenger for the Nottingham mans WBA & IBF Super Middleweight titles.

Groves' biggest victories of his short career have come against previous British rival James DeGale(W MD 12) and the Jamaican warhorse Glen Johnson(W UD 12). George took the 'good guy' role before his clash with DeGale and came out on top after dragging the talented 2008 Olympic Gold medallist into a tooth-and-nail battle. Groves wont be implementing the same tactics this time around but he showed just how well he can follow a game plan and also his brilliant ring generalship.

A lot of that tactical nous came from his now old trainer Adam Booth, most well known in boxing circles for his ability to draw out the perfect tactics. It seemed that together Booth and Groves had been eying up Froch for some time, so will the change have a negative effect? Or will new head coach Paddy Fitzpatrick devise the perfect strategy?

As for Froch a game plan will be far easier to come by, in his recent rich vein of form there'll be little changes from the intelligent stalking that brought him victories over Lucian Bute(TKO 5), Yusaf Mack(KO 3) and Mikkel Kessler(UD 12).

The Kessler rematch in May, where he avenged a close decision loss in Denmark 3 years earlier, showed a wiser side to Carls game. The jab was a potent weapon and Kessler seemed confused as to the tactical switch in Froch's arsenal. But prior to his hot win streak he was picked apart by boxing starlet Andre Ward(L UD 12), and while Carl has attempted to point to the two 115-113 scorecards as a consolation, they hardly reflected how much the Californian dominated.

Much has been made of Froch's resume, wins coming against; Jean Pascal(UD 12), Jermain Taylor(TKO 12), Andre Dirrell(SD 12), Arthur Abraham(UD 12) and Glen Johnson(UD 12). He also boasts notable wins against Brian Magee(KO 11), Robin Reid(RTD 5), Tony Dodson(KO 3) and Albert Rybacki(TKO 4). Add in Mack, Bute, his two meetings with Kessler and his only unavenged loss to Ward and you have one of the best boxing records of his era.


Groves won his last 'battle of Britain' but this is a step up from DeGale

So the feeling is that Groves is levels below 'The Cobra' but his development has been of the highest quality, much likes Froch's was before he stepped in with Jean Pascal. But unlike Groves, Froch was entering into his first world title fight with an opponent also stepping up in class, not a 4-time world champion.

Wins over Kenny Anderson(TKO 6), Paul Smith(TKO 2), Francisco Sierra(TKO 6), Noe Gonzalez Alcoba(TKO 5) as well as Johnson and DeGale are all very impressive for a developing fighter, but when in the ring with Froch, the developing process has to be finished. George Groves must be at his full potential.

Froch will be venomous throughout the 12 rounds, with the likelihood that Groves' punches will have little effect on the man that twice walked through the fists of Kessler. Yet it is worth noting that the slick counter-puncher Jermain Taylor had Froch on the seat of his pants in the 3rd round of their contest, but the days of slow starting seem to be behind Froch now.

Groves' knack of sticking to a game plan has given many the feeling that the Hammersmith fighter has a chance in this contest. If he manages to keep Froch on the end of his jab before snapping in long right hands and then sliding low to his right out of danger for the full 12 rounds then I can see Groves taking the surprise victory on points.



Ward dominated Froch but Carl gave him his toughest fight to date

But that would be a huge shout and it's an even bigger "if". So while Groves' strategy may be perfect, carrying it out against Froch will prove to be a puzzle in itself.

While many see Froch darting out of the blocks I envision the veteran of this contest to box behind his ramrod jab for the opening 4 rounds. In close rounds short burst near the end of each stanza from Froch may give him the edge in some tentative rounds. If Groves is not ahead by round 5 then the likelihood he'll win the contest becomes even smaller.

Carl's confidence will grow from the 5th round and while these middle rounds are usually where Froch takes command this will prove to be Groves' best shot at creating a rhythm. While Froch starts to find his groove Groves can take rounds 5 and 6, using the right hand on a more regular basis. But the confidence that Groves will find may be short lived as Froch will eventually catch the underdog with a clean shot, before he pushes for the stoppage. Groves can survive several scary moments between rounds 7-10 but will find himself a little bit too far back on the cards.

Froch in rhythm will continue to push for the knockout but may ease off slightly in the final round, seeing that he is in command, before receiving a clear decision victory after 12 tactically thrilling rounds.