BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of the Week
by Cliff Rold
Former Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield is fighting this weekend.
Like, a real fight.
In a sport with no quality control, things like this occur sometimes. I agree wholeheartedly with those who state that, as long as Holyfield can sell a ticket, he should be accorded the liberty to do as he pleases with his body.
Therefore, to those buying tickets: knock it off. It’s not that he can’t still go a wee bit. Heck, he had enough left to get robbed blind overseas for a belt against Nicolay Valuev a couple years ago. That doesn’t mean there is anything cool about his career at this point. This ain’t the Rat Pack missing notes late in life.
Boxing ain’t a game. Let’s hope Holy doesn’t get played too bad as he creeps towards his 50s.
For those interested in younger fighters this weekend, it’s a great chance to brush up on one’s Spanish.
These are the picks of the week.
Pick Solo: Lucas Matthysse vs. DeMarcus Corley (Friday, Telefutura, 11:30 PM EST/PST)
Speaking of fighter’s who should call it a day, the former Jr. Welterweight titlist Corley (37-15-1, 22 KO) has enough losses recently to stand out. However, he’s still just capable enough to hang on. He gave Marcos Maidana a tough night last year. He gave current titlist Devon Alexander a good go before Alexander crossed into the elite. He’s not good enough to win significantly anymore but he’s good enough to test. Matthysse (27-1, 25 KO) could use a little test. He dropped former Welterweight king Zab Judah his last time out and was a single point shy of keeping his undefeated mark intact on a split decision. Corley is a good place to see what the promising young Argentine might have learned last time out and see if he’s got the chops to solve a boxer.
Pick DVR: William Urina vs. Johnny Garcia (Friday, Telemundo, 11:35 PM EST/PST)
This is the one to TIVO with Saturday cereal in mind. Telemundo shows are good for spotlighting smaller men and some off-Broadway blood and guts stuff. They also sneak up occasionally with someone coming who isn’t on the radar yet. The first place this scribe saw Saul Alvarez, for instance, was Telemundo. Could 115 lb. hopeful Urina (17-0, 14 KO) be on his way to main events one day? Garcia (9-2-1, 5 KO) will surely do his best to make that not be the case.
Pick ?: Sylvester and Cunningham in Germany (Saturday, ?)
This one probably ends up a YouTube special outside Germany (though keep an eye…ESPN3 picks up a lot these days). If so, it’s too bad as this is the most significant action of the weekend, at least in terms of brand. Cunningham (23-2, 12 KO) is BoxingScene’s #1 Cruiserweight and starting a second run as the IBF titlist. Sylvester is #5 at Middleweight with the same group’s belt. Both should be heavily favored over Enad Licina (19-2, 10 KO) and Mehdi Bouadla (21-3, 10 KO) respectively. If either lost, the world would not shake from the news. In other words, these might end up interesting and are worth at least keeping an eye on.
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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
