BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of the Week
by Cliff Rold
For all intents and purposes, the boxing years wraps up this weekend. Oh, sure, there are a few stragglers left before Baby New Year makes its annual appearance, but this those are light encores. After a series of outstanding events through November and the last couple weeks; after seeing multiple Fight of the Year candidates and the validation of a real Middleweight king; after seeing tournaments at Super Middleweight and Bantamweight keep some of those divisions best going at each other; after all that, we get to a potential piece of history.
This Saturday night, will the sport crown a World Champion closer to fifty than forty?
These are the picks of the week.
Pick X: World Champion Jean Pascal vs. #4 Bernard Hopkins (Saturday, Showtime, 10 PM EST/PST)
The number of times watching Bernard Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KO) has been fun in recent years is not many. The number of times he has defied the odds in a career going back to 1988 feels countless. Hopkins was considered old in 2001 when he upset Felix Trinidad to secure full rights to the Middleweight throne. He wasn’t any younger in 2006 when he upended Antonio Tarver for the Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight crown. What is he now? Literally, Hopkins is 45 and closing on 46 quickly. Champion Jean Pascal (26-1, 16 KO) is 28, fast as hell, and on his home turf. On any turf, Pascal is a fun but technically flawed fighter facing a master who knows the world isn’t taking him as serious as it should. This is going to be an insane Quebec crowd. Will we get one more insane Hopkins performance?
Pick Nostalgia: Erik Morales vs. Jorge Barrios (Saturday, ESPN Deportes, ?)
Fightnews lists this one as going off on ESPN Deportes; the Deportes schedule looks open at 11 PM EST. Take that for what it’s worth. This one should be fun no matter where it airs. Future Hall of Famer and three division titlist Erik Morales (50-6, 35 KO) looks for his third straight win since beginning a comeback earlier this year. He’s already bested competent fare in Jose Alfaro and Willie Limond. Now it’s former Jr. Lightweight titlist Barrios (50-4-1, 35 KO). This can’t possibly be a bad fight. Roll these two bad asses out in wheel chairs when they’re old and they’ll make it nasty. It’s a bit of a nostalgia piece except neither guy is really THAT old. Win and Morales might even be in the running for an unlikely date with Juan Manuel Marquez next year. It’s the only matchup of this generation’s Fantastic Feather Four never seen. This scribe is all for rectifying that.
Pick Ticket: #2 Tavoris Cloud vs. Fulgencio Zuniga (Friday in Miami)
Fans in the Miami area need not concern themselves with T.V. fights. Get out of the house and head down to the American Airlines Arena where one of the most exciting young beltholders in the game, the IBF Light Heavyweight champ Cloud (21-0, 18 KO) makes his second defense against the always willing Zuniga (24-4-1, 21 KO). If Pascal beats Hopkins, a fight with Cloud could be one of the best action entries to ask for next year. Also on the show, former Cuban Olympic Gold Medalist Odlanier Solis faces Ray Austin for a crack at Vitali Klitschko’s WBC Heavyweight belt. It looks like a fun night and if the fights are not enough, head down because it’s promoted by Don King. He’s been a controversial figure over the years for sure but King is aging quickly and probably won’t be around much longer. This is a good show and, despite the bad, he’s given fans a number of good and great nights in his storied career. After the sad loss of his wife, what better time for fans to thank King for the better memories and enjoy a night at the fights.
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