BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of The Week
by Cliff Rold
With nearly the violence of the Temple of Doom heart scene, Gennady Golovkin has taken his latest sacrifice in the Middleweight division.
Boxing keeps rolling.
This week, the best fight won’t be on HBO or Showtime. It will fall to those with AWE to catch the most important fight of the week and likely the most fun. It’s hometown action at Jr. Featherweight while basic cable stays busy.
These are the picks of the week.
Pick It: #1 Carl Frampton vs. #5 Chris Avalos (AWE, Saturday, 3:30 PM EST/12:30PST)
This could be a fun scrap. Most Frampton (19-0, 13 KO) fights are. That is especially true when he is at home. The IBF 122 lb. titlist doesn’t just make good fights. He also brings a rowdy, fun crowd in Northern Ireland. If it gives some flashbacks at the joy of Barry McGuigan at his height (and no, it’s not that sort of frenzy yet), well, good. Avalos (25-2, 19 KO) was pegged early as a potential contender and enters with six straight wins. Early career losses to Christopher Martin and Jhonatan Romero didn’t ruin him and he has chances here. On paper, Frampton looks a strong favorite but Avalos should be expected to fight like he might not get a better shot than this one. Note the early start time and beware that the undercard could last a couple of hours. It’s a real plus when AWE picks up these overseas broadcasts as fans get an extra look at an abundance of fighters.
Pick Scrappers: Pablo Cesar Cano vs. Juan Carlos Abreu (Fox Sports 1, Friday, 10:30 PM EST/7:30 PM PST)
Cano (28-4-1, 21 KO) is far from an elite Welterweight. He’s struggled with weight in the past and been stopped twice. He does make fun fights though. His battle with an aged Erik Morales put him on the map and many thought he deserved a nod over Paulie Malignaggi. A cut loss to Alfredo Angulo was his last notable start but he has some good TV time here. Abreu (18-1-1, 17 KO) lost his big step up fight to veteran Humberto Soto but he can punch. This should be solid popcorn fare either for those staying in on Friday or those who want to DVR something for their Saturday Cheerios.
Pick Deuce: Cletus Seldin vs. Johnny Garcia (ESPN2, Friday, 9 PM EST/6 PM PST)
After two weeks of Boxcino, Friday Night Fights turns to a rising prospect at 130 lbs. Seldin might share a name with a famous Simpsons character, but he’s no cartoon. At 15-0 with 12 stops, he might be a comer. Garcia (19-2-1, 11 KO) will give fans a chance to weigh his chances.
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Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
