By Cliff Rold
And the beat(ings) go on.
Sandwiched between two massive Welterweight fights in March and May, the Middleweights and Super Middleweights have filled the space between with upsets, knockouts, and just enough controversy to keep things interesting. They’re back at it again this weekend with what is one of the most intriguing matches of any of the nine round-robin bouts in the Super Six.
On top of that, Heavyweight has what should be must-see violence on tap.
No. Seriously.
These are the picks of the week.
Pick It: #3 Carl Froch-#5 Mikkel Kessler (Saturday, Showtime, 9 PM EST/PST)
Even before the first round, even before the WBC Super Middleweight titlist Froch (26-0, 20 KO) roughed his way through an ugly win over Andre Dirrell and Kessler (42-2, 32 KO) got handled by Andre Ward, this looked like one of the more interesting matches of the entire Super Six round robin. Those developments added to the intrigue here. It has back story. In the biggest fight of his life (to then), an undefeated Kessler was beaten by the U.K.’s Joe Calzaghe in Wales. Now Kessler fights for his career and the survival of a strong chance to advance in the Super Six (no 0-2 fighter will be mathematically eliminated after round two). Froch fights to one up Calzaghe against one of Calzaghe’s most important foes, their terrestrial rivalry always good for the quote machines. Is Kessler hard enough to handle a rugged character like Froch? Can Froch continue to out gut what appear to be more skilled men? Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor and Dirrell all picked up “L’s” from Froch. Kessler desperately needs, for his sake, to be the man who puts the first one of those on Froch’s record. The Dane has homefield.
Pick Heavy DVR: #7 Cristobal Arreola-#9 Tomasz Adamek (Saturday, HBO, 11:15 EST/PST)
This would be the must-see heavyweight fight. Arreola (28-1, 25 KO) is only once removed from a bludgeoning loss to Vitali Klitschko. He doesn’t always showing up looking like he worked off all the rolls he needed to in camp. However, a fight is a fight, styles make them, and this here is a style clash. Arreola faces former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight champ Adamek (40-1, 27 KO) and, to date, there hasn’t been such a thing as a bad Adamek fight. From his 175 lb. wars with Paul Briggs to Steve Cunningham at Cruiserweight, Adamek is just watchable. Is he durable enough though for big boys with power? This is a test, for both men. Arreola still has yet to defeat anyone worth noting. Adamek could become a credible Klitschko challenger with a win. High stakes should yield high drama. The undercard, with Jr. Middleweight puncher Alfredo Angulo (17-1, 14 KO) and retread Joel Julio (35-3, 31 KO) should be entertaining and Julio has chances here. It’s a good show…not quite as good as Showtime though so hit the DVR up if Froch-Kessler is still in the ring when it kicks off.
Don’t Pick: #8 Jorge Arce-Cecilio Santos (Saturday, Fox Sports, 10 PM EST)
Finally, with the always needed Fox caveat to check local listings, there is this. Actually, don’t check local listings. It’s not a very good match. It might be worse than that. Santos (24-13-3, 14 KO) has been knocked out in his last two fights, both of them inside 2010, in January and March. We’re only in April, just seven weeks since the last one. Santos was also stopped in two straight in 2009. Only a single win over a novice pro prevents a four fight losing streak by knockout. Not TKO’s either. Knockouts. Now he fights a faded but still dangerous puncher in Arce (53-6-1, 40 KO). Everyone has a right to make a living and if Santos chooses to keep this vocation, so be it. However, in a market driven sport it’s a pox on all houses if there is a market for this.
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
