BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of The Week

by Cliff Rold

It’s not over yet.

While coverage of boxing goes into year-end awards mode, the year careens towards completion.  There are still fights to be finished.  Among them is a long-time coming Jr. Lightweight title bout and the return of two big names at Super Middleweight.  

These are the picks of the week.

Pick It: #1 Takashi Uchiyama vs. #5 Jorge Solis (Saturday, Japan, ?)

This fight doesn’t fly alone.  Uchiyama (17-0, 14 KO) is one of the game’s most underrated titlists.  Solis (40-3-2, 29 KO) is a solid veteran whose failings have largely come against the elite.  They have long been on a collision course but the fight failed to come off until now.  Uchiyama has made three defenses of his WBA belt so far after stopping Juan Carlos Salgado for the honors.  This one could be a battle.  On the undercard, in another potential crowd pleaser, WBA Featherweight beltholder Celestino Caballero (35-4, 23 KO) will attempt to continue his rebound from a shocking loss to Jason Litzau with a defense against former title challenger Satashi Hosono (21-1, 15 KO).  Hosono will have his hands full with the length of Caballero but if he can get inside, this gets very interesting.  This will be worth a YouTube search the day after.   

Pick Sho: The Return of Taylor and Dirrell (Friday, Showtime, 10 PM EST/PST)

On the final ShoBox of 2011, fans have a pair of head cases, literally.  Former Middleweight king Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KO) reportedly suffered a brain bleed in a knockout loss to Arthur Abraham.  That used to be a career ender in a sport highlighted by getting hit in the freaking head.  This return is ghastly and comes against Jesse Nicklow (22-2-3, 8 KO).  2004 U.S. Olympic Middleweight Bronze Medalist Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO) has been on the shelf almost two years after, allegedly, suffering some sort of post-concussion syndrome following being hit on the deck by Abraham in round two of the Super Six.  If his head was buzzed for that long, should we wonder if Dirrell should really be fighting?  Or should we wonder if his head injury was more of a heart injury with the talented Andre Ward and a probable second defeat looming in round three of the Super Middleweight tournament.  An awkward episode of the Fight Camp series, and rumors of a stillborn negotiation with Ward left room for questions. Time will tell.  Dirrell is matched with Darryl Cunningham (24-2, 10 KO).  Fight fans will remember Cunningham as the man Kelly Pavlik wouldn’t fight earlier this year.  This is an odd card.

Pick Straw: #2 Kazuto Ioka vs. Yodgoen Tor Chalermchai (Saturday, Japan, ?)

Another YouTube special, this one features a youngster worth following.  The 22-year old Ioka (8-0, 5 KO) has the WBC 105 lb. belt, is attempting his second defense, and has strong bloodlines.  His uncle, Hiroki Ioka, was the only man to defeat Jr. Flyweight great Myung Wuh Yuh, if with some debate.  Chalermchai (8-0, 4 KO) is unknown to these eyes.  A title fight between two fighters with less than 20 fights between them is a sign of the times one supposes, though smaller classes have seen such things for years.  For now, it’s enough to Ioka is one to watch.

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