By Jake Donovan

It happens every year, right around this time of the year, in fact. HBO and Showtime, the two premiere stateside powerbrokers, manage to play nice for a couple of months, before deciding to go head-to-head in their boxing schedules.

From there, it's on. It's never a one-and-done affair; usually no fewer than five times, sometimes upwards of eight times per year as was the case in 2007

It's a strange rivalry as it remains solely in-house. Neither network will allow their boxing schedule to compete against other sports.

When was the last time a major fight card went head-to-head with Game 1 of the Major League Baseball World Series? In fact, big fights aren't even scheduled for the last weekend in October for fear that the World Series will extend to at least a 6th game.

Anyone who remotely follows college basketball knows that March Madness – bracket season - is now upon us. Boxing fans can relax and take in all of the action without fear of schedule conflict. Why? Because boxing doesn't schedule any major fights beyond the second round of the tournament, and won't come back until a college hoops champion is crowned, with the regional and Final Four rounds both taking place on Saturdays.

It is during both of the aforementioned (beginning of March and October) that scheduling conflicts between the two networks can most commonly be found.

Exhibit A is offered this weekend, as HBO and Showtime both offer top shelf boxing action, with both shows taking place outside of the U.S.

HBO travels to Cancun, Mexico, which plays host to its first ever heavyweight alphabet title fight, as Oleg Maskaev takes on Samuel Peter (Saturday, 9:30PM/6:30 PT). The winner angles for a future unification match with Wladimir Klitschko, though it's quite possible he will first have to go through big brother Vitali. The co-feature offers a lightweight title fight with heavy future implications, as undefeated and unified alphabet titlist Juan Diaz faces mandatory challenger Nate Campbell.

On the other side of the pond, Showtime offers boxing for the second time in as many weeks, traveling to London, England for the world cruiserweight championship between linear king David Haye and Enzo Maccarinelli (9:00PM ET/PT).

With the starting times a mere 30 minutes apart, the question now becomes, which do you watch live, and which do you TiVo.

So without further ado, here is what you can expect this weekend.

SHOWTIME: DAVID HAYE vs. ENZO MACCARINELLI

What's at stake:

The linear cruiserweight championship and U.K. cruiserweight bragging rights. Haye (20-1, 19KO) makes the first defense of the crown he snatched last November from two-time cruiser king Jean-Marc Mormeck. No soft touch lined up here, with Maccarinelli (28-1, 20KO) regarded as a Top 3 cruiserweight, in addition to bringing alphabet hardware to the table.

Why you should choose this show:

- Guaranteed excitement: For all of the criticism directed at the cruiserweight division, when was the last time a fight with the linear cruiserweight championship at stake did NOT produce plenty of bang for your buck? Haye's off-the-canvas stoppage victory of Mormeck was HBO and Showtime's loss. Ditto for Mormeck's regaining the crown from O'Neil Bell in their rematch earlier in the year, which aired live on MSG Network. The first fight aired in January 2006, with Bell overcoming a rough start to knock out Mormeck in ten rounds, in what became the year's first Fight – and Upset – of the Year contender.

That Mormeck-Wayne Braithwaite (April 2005) was the weakest entry of the aforementioned linear title fights tells you how high the stakes have been raised when this crown is at stake. Couple that with both fighters possessing fight-altering power, Haye's general disregard for defense, Maccarinelli's brawling style and neither fighter boasting much of a chin, and an all-out war is all but guaranteed.

- Instant clarification: Regardless of the outcome, this weekend's cruiserweight fight already has a clear-cut leader going in, and will have one at night's end. Haye is the linear champ. Maccarinelli may claim to be the best and may possess an alphabet title, but in order to BECOME the best, he must beat Haye, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Compare that to HBO's offering, where the Maskaev-Peter winner will still have to face at least Wladimir Klitschko before heavyweight supremacy is decided. And where Juan Diaz, despite gaining momentum as the best lightweight on the planet, cannot lay linear claim to the title until he forces Joel Casamayor to relinquish the crown – either in the ring or via retirement.

- Spoiler-free zone: How many times have you instead opted to watch an HBO broadcast and TiVo the Showtime card, only for Jim Lampley or Larry Merchant to randomly blurt out the result on "that other network" during the middle of the HBO show? The network almost always offers an apology afterward, insisting that it wasn't deliberate. But if they were truly sorry, they wouldn't do it, and therefore having to keep apologize for it.

Why you should wait or pass:

- Who cares about Euro fighters: The message was sent loud and clear last November, when HBO announced that the Joe Calzaghe-Mikkel Kessler card was its lowest rated telecast of the year. Regardless of the skill level or of conversations in barber shops, by the water cooler or on message boards to the contrary , your average American boxing fan generally doesn't care about two European fighters going head-to-head. Calzaghe entered the fight with major backing from HBO, and Kessler benefited from a showcase earlier in the year, yet fans still didn't care. So who will care about Haye or Maccarinelli, neither of whom have ever appeared on a major card hosted by HBO or Showtime?

- The bigger they are, the more they'll disappoint: The trend in recent years has proven the lower weight classes are carrying the sport on their tiny backs while the sport's bigger boys collectively clog up space. Despite the track record of past cruiserweight championships, the division is due for a letdown. While Haye and Maccarinelli both love to throw down, there's also the off-chance that both will be wary of the other's power, that you tune in for a fight and a boxing match will instead break out. Given their starting times, Haye-Maccarinelli will run head-to-head with the Diaz-Campbell lightweight fight on HBO.

- There's always the West Coast feed: Unlike HBO's World Championship Boxing series, which airs live throughout the country, those with satellite or digital cable can always catch Showtime's card three hours later on the West Coast feed. It's only one fight, which means no matter how late you stay up to watch, your Showtime viewing experience is still over in 12 rounds or less. Plus, you can still catch it directly after the HBO card, if their two scheduled bouts cover the entire time slot allotted for the show.

HBO: OLEG MASKAEV vs. SAMUEL PETER/JUAN DIAZ vs. NATE CAMPBELL

What's at stake:

Bigger and better things in the heavyweight and lightweight divisions. The Maskaev-Peter winner will be one step closer toward heavyweight unification, with only Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev standing in their way of gaining universal recognition as the undisputed leader of boxing's longtime glory division. The Diaz-Campbell winner can be considered the best lightweight in the world, even if the linear championship exists elsewhere (for the moment, around the waist of Joel Casamayor).

Why you should choose this show:

- If it was good enough for Showtime…: Ironic that when Maskaev-Peter finally comes off, it will air opposite the network that planned to host it all along. The fight was first scheduled for last October, after months of political football in getting the fight put together. When Maskaev pulled up lame, Showtime was forced to instead go with Peter-Jameel McCline. The backup plan became February 2, only no arena could be secured in time. Showtime said, "thanks but no thanks" when the bout was rescheduled for March 8, the slot already filled by Haye-Maccarinelli. Their loss becomes HBO's gain, as both Maskaev and Peter are noted punchers. Maskaev's been down and out before, while Peter tasted the canvas for the first – and second, and third – time against McCline.

 - Two fights are better than one: No matter how great Haye-Maccarinelli turns out to be, Showtime's night is done in 12 rounds or less. Boxing junkies get more for their money with HBO's doubleheader, with both fights just as intriguing as Showtime's one bout. Peter and Diaz are both considerable favorites, but Maskaev and Campbell both have notable upsets under their belts in recent years. Maskaev's alphabet title-winning effort came in come-from-behind fashion, rallying back to stop Hasim Rahman in the 12th round of their August 2006 rematch. Campbell accepted assignment against Kid Diamond on less than a month's notice. He made the lightweight contender pay dearly in their October 2005 bout, beating the breaks off of him before stopping him in ten brutally one-sided rounds, snatching his "0" in the process. Both are live dogs in their fights, with Peter showing major vulnerabilities last October against McCline, and Campbell's 5" reach advantage against Diaz possibly playing a major factor in the type of lightweight fight he's demanded for well over a year.

Why you should wait or pass:

- Who cares about heavyweights: Blame Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov. It's not entirely their fault, but you can certainly understand if anyone considered their fight two weekends ago to be the last straw in holding out hope for the dysfunctional heavyweight division. When your division's encore performance is an oft-postponed matchup that, in separate tries, struggled to find a home, sell tickets or even come off, it's tough to envision a rosy outcome. But even if this fight came off in a timely fashion, there's still no end in sight to the clutter toward the top. This weekend's winner most likely faces Vitali Klitschko rather than Wladimir, who is looking at separate mandatory challenges to occupy the remainder of his 2008 schedule.

- Diaz-Casamayor or bust: Let's face it, Diaz-Campbell is happening because it has to, not due to any demand for it (outside of Campbell and his camp). Not to say that Nate doesn't deserve a title shot – he took on every fight demanded of him, with the promise of a shot at the winner of last year's "Dia de los Diaz" bout, yet still had to aggressively lobby for the fight before all parties willingly gave in. But that doesn't mean the fans have to care. It was the threat of lawsuits that forced Don King's  - and Juan Diaz' – hands in making this fight. The one fight most lightweight followers demanded was a showdown between the man regarded as the linear champ – Joel Casamayor – and the man regarded as today's best lightweight – Juan Diaz – to clear up once and for all who is without a shadow of a doubt, the man at lightweight.

- Quantity does not equate quality: It's tough to ignore the fact that the night's best – and most significant - matchup, on paper, takes place on Showtime. In an era where fans demand the most for their money, HBO subscribers may feel cheated in getting a heavyweight fight nobody really demanded and a lightweight bout that may or may not lead to a bigger lightweight fight, knowing that far less confusion comes out of what Showtime has to offer.

With so much to choose from and so little time to spare, a decision will have to be reached come Saturday night. It's just a shame that a boxing fan's greatest dilemma has to be the sport competing against itself, and that this weekend won't be the only time this year, with another head-to-head matchup already scheduled for April 12.

It's an even greater pill to swallow knowing that it won't offer any flex when another game comes to town.

HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY TOP THAT?

Regardless of which show you choose this weekend, chances are it won't top last weekend's incredible rubber match between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez.

Just when you thought Vazquez had Marquez' number, he falls into a hole – and eventually to the canvas for the first time in the trilogy. Just when you thought Marquez finally proves to be a step ahead of Vazquez, he falls behind. Just when you suspect Vazquez will stay in the lead, back comes Marquez, with only a 10th round point deduction standing in the way of possibly taking the fight off of the table heading into the championship rounds.

The ultimate difference – their desire heading into the 12th and final round.

It doesn't happen often, but on this particular evening, Nacho Beristain, one of the game's absolute best cornermen, was outcoached. The advice in the Marquez corner was to be smart and to not get caught, perhaps firmly believing that they had the fight won on the cards and didn't want to risk a knockout. The word from the Vazquez corner – whatever you have left, leave it all in the ring.

To their credit, both men astutely heeded the advice of their cornermen. Only it won Vazquez  the fight – while Marquez blew his chance to preserve his lead.

Vazquez went balls to the wall in the 12th and final round, to where it could be argued that the round would've been 10-8 even without the late knockdown. Marquez offered very little, perhaps because he had very little left in the tank. When he was hurt (at least twice), he would clinch. It worked for 2:45, but Marquez no longer possessed the energy to fend off a relentless Vazquez.

A volley of clean, unanswered head shots sent Marquez reeling into a corner, with his right hand grabbing the top rope the lone course of action preventing a trip to the canvas. Despite post-fight protests from Marquez and promoter Gary Shaw, referee Pat Russell correctly ruled it a knockdown. The standing eight-count ate up most of the remaining clock, with no time left for a Vazquez follow up.

Rather than protest, Marquez should thank Russell; no break in the action leaves him open for another ten seconds. Vazquez had already twice landed clean shots after Marquez was driven into a corner. No telling how many more shots land, and how well Marquez takes them.

Nevertheless, not even Shaw and Marquez' post-fight protest  - following the second and third fights – can spoil what must be regarded as the greatest trilogy in boxing history.

The only thing that can top it, would be Vazquez-Marquez IV. This time, in a Mexican bullring, where 50,000 or so fans can pack the arena, giving these two diminutive warriors the audience it deserves.

Jake Donovan is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Tennessee Boxing Advisory Board. Jake can be contacted at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.