By Cliff Rold

Evander Holyfield knocking out Frans Botha as a headline in 2010 had some people bothered last week but, really, who cares?  Hector Camacho fought Roberto Duran when it didn’t matter, Larry Holmes went up 2-0 on Bonecrusher Smith on the AARP tour…boxing survived.

Some old warriors cashed their checks.

It’s all good when one considers the excellence shown last week on ESPN2 by veteran David Estrada and the growth shown by Andre Berto on HBO.  This week is all, well, better.

Middleweight championship…Super Middleweight championship…hot prospect…Heavyweights on ESPN2?

Three out of four ain’t bad.

These are the picks of the week.

Pick It: World Champion Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez (Saturday, HBO, 10 PM EST)

While this is a two-fight show, from two separate locations, the main “event” is what truly matters.  In Atlantic City, Pavlik (36-1, 32 KO) will be attempting the fourth defense of the lineal World Middleweight crown and, for the first time, his title is genuinely at risk.  There’s a powerful case for his foe this Saturday, Sergio Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KO) as being the best Jr. Middleweight in the world and maybe, just maybe, one of the best fighters in the world at any weight.  Martinez looks the part, skilled and fast and tough, if denied opportunities to prove it until recently.  While many had wanted to see Pavlik face the man who beat Martinez, narrowly, last December (Paul Williams) get first crack at Pavlik, this is no consolation.  Pavlik looked like a star in the making during a masterful 2007.  He’s been struggling for traction ever since, lost in the shuffle of increasing anonymity on pay-per-view and suffering a humbling loss to Bernard Hopkins at Light Heavyweight.  This is his make or break moment.  Aged 35, it is the same for Martinez.  A special fight could be on the horizon.

The televised support, from Canada, will have its share of entertainment as well even if it’s not quite as good a match.  IBF Super Middleweight titlist Lucian Bute (25-0, 20 KO) draws massive crowds in Montreal and has a foe on tap who can make him look good while providing just enough power for drama.  Edison Miranda (33-4, 29 KO) has lost only to Pavlik, Arthur Abraham, and Andre Ward; he loses only to the best.  Bute has a case as the best Super Middle in the world despite exclusion from the ongoing “Super Six” tournament.  Miranda can be a gauge.

This is a show worth looking forward to.

Pick Friday: Deuce and ShoBox at 10 and 11

The remainder of U.S. televised action could create a quandary on Friday night…although the quandary might be whether or not to stay home and watch fights at all.  If one chooses to do so, first nod ought to go to the 11 PM “Shobox” choice on Showtime.  The headliner, Middleweight Fernando Guerrero (17-0, 14 KO, is already a Mid-Atlantic draw and one of the most watchable youngsters in the game.  Only 23, 2010 could see him make a move towards contention before the calendar strike 11.  His opponent, Michael Walker (19-3-2, 12 KO) has lost three of his last four but never been stopped.

If the timing works out, the ESPN2 main on a show starting at 10, could be over and may even be watchable.  The big men might be down but the two fighting Friday have shown heart in the past, particularly Tony Thompson (33-2, 21 KO) who actually manned up and tried to beat Wladimir Klitschko for his titles in 2008.  Thompson fell short, but behaved like a professional ought to.  He’s won two straight by stop since and gets an Owen Beck (29-4, 20 KO) coming off a stoppage loss in January.  Beck once lost a commendable fight to Monte Barrett.  That was a long time ago.  If he’s got anything left, maybe this Heavyweight tilt is interesting.  If not, it’s over in time to flip to Guerrero.      

Back in seven.

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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