By Cliff Rold
After a few weeks of hiatus, the first HBO card of the year happens to coincide with the first picks of the week for 2009. Coupled with last week’s ESPN Cuban tripleheader (https://www.boxingscene.com/index.php?m=show&id=17811), and Saturday’s German upset (https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=17820) the sport is in full swing right away.
All of the news isn’t great of course. This weekend’s HBO show was supposed to be a doubleheader but medical issues forced undefeated Joe Greene out of his Jr. Middleweight showdown with WBC interim titlist Sergio Martinez. The silver lining for the cancellation? Martinez will now face off in February with WBA titlist Daniel Santos. It’s not often a late replacement results in unification; let’s hope it’s a good omen for the rest for the year.
Omens aside, these are 2009’s first picks of the week.
Pick One: Andre Berto-Luis Collazo (HBO, Saturday 9:45 PM EST/PST)
The WBC Welterweight titlist Berto (23-0, 19 KO) has been involved in recent criticisms of HBO’s television choices, some of his opponents seen as sub-premium cable worthy. Hot on the heels of a lengthy feature in ESPN The Magazine, Berto’s opponent this weekend won’t merit any negative chatter to go with increased notoriety. Former WBA titlist Luis Collazo (29-3, 14 KO) has gone 3-1 since losing his belt in controversial fashion to Ricky Hatton in 2006 and while the 3 were nothing special, the 1 was Shane Mosley so no harm there. Significantly, Collazo represents something Berto arguably hasn’t seen yet: a legitimate top ten contender at 147 lbs. It’s just one of Boxing’s lesser idiosyncrasies that a fighter can win a ‘world’ title without facing one of those. Previous veteran foes like Steve Forbes, David Estrada, and Cosme Rivera all represented development wins; Collazo is where we begin to find out if the 2004 Olympian Berto is a serious threat to the elite level. Men like Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto, Mosley and Margarito are that level so even with a win over Collazo, Berto will have steep mountains to climb. Collazo won’t make it easy and this Boxing After Dark showdown will be worth watching because of it.
Pick The “0” Must Go Show: Leonilo Miranda-Orlando Cruz (Showtime, Friday 11 PM EST/PST)
Featherweight is a division currently waiting to get exciting again. Fighters like Miranda (30-0, 28 KO) and Cruz (15-0-1, 6 KO) will want to be there when it does. This ‘first of ‘09’ ShoBox show is one to keep an eye on. The track record of the program in terms of producing future champions, from Ricky Hatton to Chad Dawson, is impeccable. Could either of these young tigers join the champion’s club? Friday will be a good indication.
Pick Classic: Gatti Tuesday (ESPN Classic, Tuesday 8:00 PM EST)
Just in case all these fights ending up falling short of a highlight reel, Tuesday night gives a glimpse of the two classics which truly birthed the Arturo Gatti legend. The 1996 battle with Wilson Rodriguez was the real fight of the year regardless of praise heaped on Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson I; the slightly inferior (to Rodriguez) but still classic battle with Gabe Ruelas in 1997 actually claimed the honors. Both feature bell to bell action and classic endings. It’s a Tuesday; like there’s anything better to do?
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
