There are 2 months of great fights heading our way, and it’s a perfect way to start out the spring season.
Saturday, March 6th – Devon Alexander vs. Juan Urango (HBO)- Jnr. Welterweights- Devon Alexander is on a collision course with 140 lb. kingpin Tim Bradley, but he must get past a tough test in Juan Urango first. Devon is very slick and has some good power, but the tale of this fight may be that both men are southpaws. A win here could set Alexander up for a showdown with Bradley, a stoppage would make an even bigger statement. My Pick: Alexander by UD.
Vic Darchinyan vs. Rodrigo Guerrero (SHO)- Jnr. Bantamweight- Love him or hate him, Vic Darchinyan always brings fireworks when he steps in the ring. Guerrero has a good record but has never fought outside of Mexico and hasn’t faced anywhere near the level of competition that Darchinyan has. My Pick: Darchinyan by KO, somewhere between rounds 4-6.
Saturday, March 13th – Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey (HBO PPV)- Welterweights- This fight is a product of the falling out of Mayweather/Pacquiao, but should still provide a pretty exciting match up. I think the story in this fight in Clotteys known lack of work rate which should play right into Pacquiaos high work rate. Clottey has a very tight defense so it may be hard for Manny to land early, but I see him wearing Clottey down late. My Pick: Pacquiao by UD.
Saturday, March 20th – Wladimir Klitschko vs. Eddie Chambers (Internet PPV)- Heavyweights-The fact that a heavyweight championship fight has no US TV outlet is an embarrassment to that division. This truly shows how weak the heavyweight drawing power is. Nonetheless, US heavyweight hopeful ‘Fast’ Eddie Chambers will take a shot at dethroning one half of the Klitschko brotherhood. Though Eddie is very quick, and a good, slick fighter, I don’t think he has enough power to really do any damage against the much bigger, and more experienced Wladimir. That being said, I don’t see Klit getting a stoppage here, but to use his machine like jab to keep Chambers at bay, while mixing a right hand here and there to keep Eddie honest. My Pick: Klitschko by UD.
Saturday, March 27th – Andre Dirrell vs. Arthur Abraham (SHO)- Super Middleweights- In the kickoff to stage 2 of the Super Six tournament, local super middleweight Andre Dirrell tries to pick up some much needed points after losing a disputed decision to Carl Froch in Stage one. Abraham will be that test, and he will give everything Dirrell can handle. Abraham is tough, with a good defense and has plenty of power. Dirrell needs to stay on his toes (which he seems to have no problem with) and safely outbox Abraham from a distance. If Dirrell ends up too close to Abraham, or in a fire fight he could meet the same fate as Jermain Taylor. The fight was originally scheduled to take place in L.A., but was recently moved to the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. This is a nice treat for Detroit fight fans as there hasn’t been a world title fight in the city in almost 10 years. This fight could go either way, it really all depends on who executes their style of fight more effectively. Dirrell has always been a ‘safety first’ type of fighter, so Abraham may find himself chasing a moving target all night. My Pick: Dirrell by SD.
