..HBO's 2009 All-Star Line Up...

[THe TRiNiTY]

Here's the group of fighters that HBO plans on highlighting in the year 2009.

ALFREDO 'EL PERRO' ANGULO
Age: 26
Record: 14(11) - 0 - 0
Division: JR. Middleweight
From: MEX/Coachella, CA
Biggest Win: Andrey Tsurkan (10TKO)
Last Opponent: Andrey Tsurkan (10TKO)
Next Opponent: Ricardo Mayorga, February 14th

'EL CICLON DE GUANTANAMO' YURIORKIS GAMBOA
Age: 27
Record: 13(11) - 0 - 0
Division: Featherweight
From: CUB/Miami, FL
Biggest Win: Roger Gonzalez (10TKO)
Last Opponent: Roger Gonzalez (10TKO)
Next Opponent: (Uncertain)


ANDRE BERTO
Age: 25
Record: 24(19) - 0 - 0
Division: Welterweight
From: Winterhaven, FL
Biggest Win: Luis Collazo (12UD)
Last Opponent: Luis Collazo (12UD)
Next Opponent: (Uncertain)


CHRIS 'THE NIGHTMARE' ARREOLA
Age: 27
Record: 26(23) - 0 - 0
Division: Heavyweight
From: Riverside, CA
Biggest Win: Travis Walker (3TKO)
Last Opponent: Travis Walker (3TKO)
Next Opponent: (Uncertain)


JUAN 'THE BABY BULL' DIAZ
Age: 25
Record: 34(17) - 1(0) - 0
Division: Lightweight
From: Houston, TX
Biggest Win: Acelino Freitas (8TKO)
Last Opponent: Michael Katsidis (12SD)
Next Opponent: Juan Manuel Marquez, February 28th


'BAD' CHAD DAWSON
Age: 26
Record: 27(17) - 0 - 0
Division: Light-Heavyweight
From: New Haven, CT
Biggest Win: Antonio Tarver (12UD)
Last Opponent: Antonio Tarver (12UD)
Next Opponent: Antonio Tarver, March 14th


PAUL 'THE PUNISHER' WILLIAMS
Age: 27
Record: 36(27) - 1(0) - 0
Division: Welterweight - Middleweight
From: Augusta, GA
Biggest Win: Antonio Margarito (12UD)
Last Opponent: Verno Phillips (8TKO)
Next Opponent: Winky Wright, April 11th


JUAN 'JUANMA' MANUEL LOPEZ
Age: 25
Record: 24(22) - 0 - 0
Division: JR. Featherweight
From: PUERTO RICO
Biggest Win: Daniel Ponce De Leon (1TKO)
Last Opponent: Sergio Manuel Medina (1TKO)
Next Opponent: Gerry Penalosa, April 4th


JAMES 'MANDINGO WARRIOR' KIRKLAND
Age: 24
Record: 24(21) - 0 - 0
Division: JR. Middleweight
From: Austin, TX
Biggest Win: Brian Vera (8TKO)
Last Opponent: Brian Vera (8TKO)
Next Opponent: Joel Julio, March 7th


'VICIOUS' VICTOR ORTIZ
Age: 21
Record: 23(18) - 1(0) - 0
Division: JR. Welterweight
From: KS/Oxnard, CA
Biggest Win: Jeffrey Resto (2TKO)
Last Opponent: Jeffrey Resto (2TKO)
Next Opponent: ?Mike Arnaoutis/Vivian Harris?


DAVID 'THE HAYEMAKER' HAYE
Age: 28
Record: 22(21) - 1(1) - 0
Division: Heavyweight
From: UNITED KINGDOM
Biggest Win: Jean Marc Mormeck (7TKO)
Last Opponent: Monte Barrett (5TKO)
Next Opponent: (Uncertain)

My questions are....

What do you think of the line up?

Who out of the 8 fighters that are undefeated will lose that claim first?

What do you think it means for the direction that HBO is heading?

Out of the 6, TOTALLY cemented bouts on schedule, what do you think the record of the HBO fighters will be?

Personally, I think the line up is pretty impressive. Also, they'll still be keeping up on Cotto, Margarito, Mosley if he wins, Hopkins for atleast another fight. Calzaghe if he decides to fight someone worth a ****. Pavlik, Taylor, Marquez, and seem to be interested in Khan in the future, if he can get passed Barrera.

I think Kirkland probably loses his first, as I'm having a hard time staying confident in my pick of him over Julio. I feel like changing it every day. Gamboa can always learn his defensive faults the wrong way and if Arreola DOES fight Klitschko, that could be the end of that.

With the 6 scheduled fights, I think HBO's house fighters finish up, 4-2, perhaps. I think Juan Diaz loses, and I think Kirkland could, as well. Anyway, your thoughts.

Vote. Discuss.

[actionjackson]

Yuri Gamboa might be exposed soon, I sure do hope not though, I would like to see him around a little longer.

Berto from what was displayed against Collazo will probably go out soon.

[Puya]

Yuri Gamboa might be exposed soon, I sure do hope not though, I would like to see him around a little longer.

Berto from what was displayed against Collazo will probably go out soon.

same here plus Areola (vs Peter and Klit)

[cotto16]

Arreloa is the dark horse i think he is gonna do big things in 2009 also watch out for oldham england fighter chi

[KJB]

Arreola will lose this year if he fights one of the Brothers. Same goes for David Haye.
Juanma Lopez will lose if he fights a half healthy Israel Vazquez.
James Kirkland will probably lose, if not to Julio then he will lose down the road to Angulo or Martirosyan.
Berto and Gamboa certainly could lose, but I see their management being careful enough with them to keep them undefeated in the next year. For them it really just depends on who they fight.
Angulo will probably stay undefeated, his team has stated they are going to look for favorable styles to match him against.
Chad Dawson will probably stay undefeated because, well, hes pretty much the best LHW in the world.
Also I am interested to see what Jorge Linares and Edwin Valero do this year, both guys have awesome potential but havent gotten the fights yet.

[Chrismart]

Id say Berto / Gamboa .

[Savino]

Im gonna go with the save bet and say Chris Arreola

[flipbjefrox]

james kirkland... it's just a matter of time b4 he gets chin check

[Ryn0]

It looks like a great line up. There all exciting fighters, I'm a bit surprised about David Haye being on there where did you get this list? It seems that the commentators have steered clear of saying anything about Haye at all. Haye is one of my favourite fighters right now, he brings some excitement to the HW division at last.

[Darkstar]

ALFREDO 'EL PERRO' ANGULO is going down on Feb 14th. After that HBO will have nothing to do with him. Showtime might pick him up tho.