BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of the Week
By Cliff Rold
While it didn’t provide Fight of the Year stuff again this year, or even a contender for the honor, Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz was at least a good fight again and the show it was a part of wasn’t bad either. Whether one felt the price tag for the pay show was all the way fair or not, it wasn’t money flushed away.
This weekend, fight fans are staring down the barrel at five televised in the U.S. fight cards that won’t cost anything more than standard subscriber fees. The best of these won’t be the main event on its show…but it will be the main event of the week, a sleeper for Fight of the Year before the opening bell.
These are the picks of the week.
Pick B.A.D.: Alexander-Kotelnik AND Johnson-Cloud (!) (Saturday, HBO, 10 PM EST/PST)
The main event isn’t bad. It’s certainly Boxing After Dark worthy, a solid test for one of the game’s best young titlists and a chance for a former titlist to get back into the mix. Happening in the rich 140 lb. field, IBF/WBC champ Devon Alexander (20-0,13 KO) has a chance to pick up the St. Louis draw card Cory Spinks built a few years back and run with it. If the ‘Lou is up to form, they should be all the way live for this clash with former WBA belted Andriy Kotelnik (31-3-1, 13 KO). It’s a top ten clash in a division with a real top ten. The only problem is that it might be impossible to keep up with the televised opener.
Beginning a two week, unofficial Light Heavyweight ‘final four,’ veteran former titlist Glen Johnson (50-13-2, 34 KO) challenges IBF beltholder Tavoris Cloud (20-0, 18 KO). Johnson is 41 but doesn’t fight anything like it yet. Cloud is 28 and full of piss and vinegar in the ring. Neither man takes a backwards step.
This can’t miss.
If it goes short, it will be because both guys went that rough at each other. If the old man wins, it will be via violent clinic. If the young man wins, it will be by breaking the will of his elder.
Allow a repeat…
This
Can’t
Miss.
2010 has had good fights, but not yet a real Fight of the Year frontrunner. If the final bell sounds with Cloud-Johnson having changed that, don’t be surprised.
Pick Sho: Chris Avalos-Christopher Martin (Friday, Showtime, 11:00 PM EST/PST)
Regular readers wouldn’t be shocked to see Bantamweights spoken highly of right now. Part of the appeal is a deep top ten. Another is some quality coming up the ranks. Fans will get a look at two potential quality pros still making their bones on this ShoBox clash. Avalos is undefeated (16-0, 13 KO). So is Martin (18-0-2, 5 KO). Someone is bound not to be when the night is done. Having seen both young battlers, it’s going to be fun finding out which one (thought the favorite looks to be Avalos).
Pick Solo Boxeo: Antonio Escalante-Edel Ruiz (Friday, Telefutura, 11:30 PM EST/PST)
Sure, there are five cards. The two which really merit must-see looks are chosen. Of the other three (to include Friday Night Fights and a Fox Espanol card Saturday), this looks the best of the lot. Escalante (23-2, 14 KO) is closing in on a deserved title shot around Featherweight, the winner of nine straight since a shock loss to veteran Mauricio Pastrana. Ruiz (34-22-4, 25 KO) has won four in a row and has veteran chops even if his whiskers have become suspect with age. Escalante is not a big puncher. Can he fall into another veteran trap? Probably not, and Ruiz was never a Pastrana, but it should be watchable if the fight jones must get its fix.
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