by Cliff Rold
It is the prologue to the only fight that matters at Light Heavyweight?
That will be the question on many a mind this weekend. Adonis Stevenson will attempt his fifth defense of history’s 175 lb. crown but he’s not just fighting the man in the ring. He’s fighting the perception that he’s avoiding the most dangerous challenger to his throne.
Sakio Bika is the challenger on Saturday. Sergey Kovalev’s is the shadow over this afternoon network TV showdown.
These are the picks of the week.
Pick It: World Champion Adonis Stevenson vs. #5 at 168 Sakio Bika (CBS, Saturday, 3 PM EST/12 PM PST)
The start time is not in error. This is old school afternoon boxing. On the west coast, a good Friday night might make this breakfast fodder. Stevenson (25-2, 21 KO) has his hands full here. Bika (32-6-3, 21 KO) has almost always been a tough out. His stamina and chin could make things tricky. No matter the Kovalev issue, this could be a very real fight by the end. The co-feature, Artur Beterbiev (7-0, 7 KO) versus former titlist Gabriel Campillo (25-6-1, 12 KO) is fascinating. Beterbiev looks like he should win but Campillo, if he doesn’t get tagged, is going to be a handful. This is a cagey veteran for a guy with less than ten pro fights to tussle with.
And boxing fans have the rest of their afternoon to themselves.
Pick Explosive: #2 Carlos Cuadras vs. Luis Concepcion (Mexico, Saturday, ?)
There’s no TV or webcast known for this one just yet but keep those eyes peeled. This looks like fun. Cuadras (31-0-1, 25 KO) has the WBC belt at 115 lbs. but is still building a profile. The little man can fight and is part of some rejuvenation at Jr. Bantamweight. Concepcion (32-3, 23 KO) is unbeaten since a first-round loss in his second fight with Tyson Marquez in 2011. Their first, which saw Concepcion lose the WBA Flyweight belt, was a genuine classic. Can he keep his chin tucked and make another classic this weekend? On paper, this could be the biggest rout, or biggest war, of the week. There probably won’t be a happy medium.
Pick Deuce: Petr Petrov vs. Gamliel Diaz (ESPN2, Friday, 9 PM EST/6 PM PST)
Making his first start since winning the Boxcino Lightweight tournament last May, Petrov (35-4-2, 17 KO) gets the former 130 lb. titlist Diaz (38-11-3, 17 KO). Diaz was an unlikely titlist but he’s had his share of upsets. The first man to defeat Robert Guerrero, he posted a career best performance to upset Takahiro Ao in 2012. He lost his next two by stoppage and appears to be a building block for Petrov. But…once a spoiler always a spoiler? We’ll find out Friday night.
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Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
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