By Cliff Rold
So, heard about anything interesting on tap this week?
Of course this Saturday marks the last Superfight of the year and the only one during the Fall of 2008 which will probably live up to the billing at the box office. There are plenty of negatives involved in the matchmaking but none add up to a show most Boxing fans will want to miss. There are Boxing stars and then there’s Oscar De La Hoya. He’s been the main event for over a decade and each chapter of his story remains a focal point for the game.
So too does every letter in the chapters of the career of his opponent, the consensus choice for best fighter in the world right now and certainly the sports most exciting warrior.
These are the picks of the week.
Pick It: Manny Pacquiao-Oscar De La Hoya (HBO PPV, Saturday 9 PM EST/6 PM PST)
The matchmaking issues of this bout were spelled out here at BoxingScene last week (https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=17178). They’re real. In terms of size, the fight is a bit of a mis-match. The chances for a Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KO) victory rely on a certain amount of slip in De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KO), and thus the chances aren’t really too high.
Oh well.
At the end of the day, the names are too big, the stage too grand, for the event to be ignored. Given his style, Pacquiao won’t leave anyone feeling they sent good money after a bad result no matter if he ends with his hand raised or his face in the mat. And, if De La Hoya has slipped enough to lose to a man at least three divisions smaller than him, the entertainment value will be through the charts. Pacquiao showed in the third Erik Morales fight that he can make even a shot opponent exciting. As a bonus, the undercard for this one ain’t half bad either with rising stars Victor Ortiz (Jr. Welterweight) and Juan Manuel Lopez (Jr. Featherweight) both matched in potentially thrilling battles. Even those not looking forward to the fight can’t lie and say they won’t be fully tuned into this event on Saturday.
Cruise It: The Contender Season Four (Versus, Wednesday 10 PM EST/PST)
The Contender reality series isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but the results have been a net positive for the fighters. Without it, where would guys like Sergio Mora and Peter Manfredo be? Would Alfonso Gomez have gotten HBO cracks at Arturo Gatti and Miguel Cotto? Heck, Season Three even ended with a Fight of the Year contender between Sakio Bika and Jaidon Codrington. Early buzz is that this year’s focus on Cruiserweights in short stanza bouts is producing consistent action fights for the first time in the show’s history. The show’s need to have fights go rounds has resulted in way too many featherfisted guys; bangers move turnstiles and with veterans like Darnell Wilson and Rico Hoye in the house the fights can subsume the artificial drama of reality T.V.
Find It: Carl Froch-Jean Pascal/Enzo Maccarinelli-Jonathon Banks (Saturday in the U.K.)
These two should be well worth tracking down any way possible. It’s a truly pick ‘em Super Middleweight fight for the vacant WBC belt with immediate ramifications as the winner will have a mandatory challenge from former World Middleweight king Jermain Taylor. Froch (23-0, 19 KO) has the home court but Pascal (21-0, 14 KO) the better skill set. An “0” will go and it’s going to be entertaining as hell. At a separate location, Cruiserweight action between the Welsh Maccarinelli (28-2, 21 KO) and American Banks (20-0, 14 KO) will also be on tap in the U.K. Somebody will definitely be stretched in this one and fans all over the world have one great weekend to look forward to.
Back in seven.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
