By Cliff Rold

What a tough week to be a fan.  What a blessing to have HD DVR.

On Saturday night, fight fans have two must see shows going head to head.  One will cost; one will not (if a Showtime subscription already exists…so really, one will not cost more).  Neither can be missed in a buffet of six quality prizefights.  In total, the week provides seven televised cards, an overdose of fistic wonders.

It’s like Christmas come early or almost all of Chanukah at once…or something.  It’s bound to be some damn good boxing and that’s holiday enough.

These are the picks of the week.

Pick It: #2 Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito (Saturday, HBO PPV, 9 PM EST/PST)

It’s the card of the year and, maybe, the card of the decade so far.  It would be no surprise if the card was still in the hunt for that sort of recognition at the end of 2019.  It all begins up top, the rematch of a 2008 classic.  The culmination of Margarito’s blue-collar rise to the top of Welterweight has been stained by accusations of glove loading.  Cotto (36-2, 29 KO), who would go on to lose to Manny Pacquiao before striking gold at Jr. Middleweight, is looking for redemption.  So is his nemesis Margarito (38-7, 27 KO).  Throw in some Mexico vs. Puerto Rico and three potential wars on the undercard and fights fans have every dollar’s worth of entertainment at hand.  Brandon Rios, the stellar young Lightweight titlist, leads the charge but blood lusters are anticipating the rematch between Jr. Middleweights Pawel Wolak and Delvin Rodriguez.  Their draw earlier this year on ESPN2 was a Fight of the Year candidate.   

DVR It (Or Watch First): Bantamweight Double (Saturday, Showtime, 9 PM EST/PST)

So here is where the tough choice happens.  The DVR will be blazing no matter what.  Does one watch the whole Cotto-Margarito show and then watch Showtime?  If PIP is available, flipping back and forth is surely an option.  This scribe doesn’t have PIP so the undercard from Madison Square Garden will wait (and get a look between rounds).  The matches from the Honda Center are too good.  In his U.S. debut, fans get a chance to see if WBA titlist Anselmo Moreno (31-1-1, 11 KO) is as good as his numbers and nine-year unbeaten streak indicate.  He’s looked the part against good competition but getting hit in the mouth by Vic Darchinyan (37-3-1, 27 KO) is a different matter.  For reference, keep in mind where Cristian Mijares appeared to be before he ran into power puncher.  In the main event, without referee Russell Mora, Abner Mares (22-0-1, 13 KO) will look to keep ‘em up and keep the IBF 118 lb. belt against Joseph Agbeko (28-3, 22 KO).  The first fight, marred by Mora’s incompetence, was still pretty good.  This should be better.

Pick EPIX: Povetkin and Helenius Showcased (Saturday, EPIX, 4:30 PM EST/1:30 PM PST)

While no one should miss the selections on ShoBox and Telefutura on Friday, or ESPN Deportes on Saturday, if they can help it, this Heavyweight show is the next best on the airwaves.  Povetkin (22-0, 15 KO) continues his anyone but a Klitschko circuit of foes with a WBA title defense against Cedric Boswell.  Boswell is most famous for being the opponent Vitali Klitschko was supposed to fight on the undercard of Lennox Lewis-Kirk Johnson…before famously getting the call for the man himself.  Boswell went on later to lose to Jameel McLine and is at least a better choice for Povetkin that Evander Holyfield.  Also highlighted will be the rising action star of the division, Robert Helenius (16-0, 11 KO) has been on fire and now has Dereck Chisora on tap.  Chisora lost to Tyson Fury in his last step up.  It doesn’t bode well for his chances here.  

Pick Bonus: #5 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk vs. #10 Danny Green (Saturday, Wednesday, ?)
 
Regular readers get a mea culpa; for some reason, this fight got locked in the author’s head as happening last Saturday when, in reality, as the calendar clearly outlines, November 30 is this Wednesday.  Repeating, with modification, the preview of a week ago: Fans will probably have to hope for a YouTube viewing if they don’t have access live.  There will be no U.S. TV and it’s too bad because this is a fun little scrap on paper.  Green (31-4, 27 KO) is coming off a loss to Antonio Tarver.  The WBC Cruiserweight titlist Wlodarczyk (45-2-1, 32 KO) should be coming off a loss.  He got a big benefit of the doubt against Francisco Palacios at home in Poland earlier this year.  He’ll be on the road for the first time since 2009 and represents arguably the best Cruiser Green has seen to date.  The leather will surely fly. 

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