MAKE WEIGHT FOR SATURDAY SHOWDOWN. Photo by Tom Hogan
If you have been biting at the bit for some good boxing, you are finally in luck! Over the next month, things really start to heat up before the holidays. It starts off this weekend on November 17th at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on HBO. Two good fights, Adrien Broner will be taking on Antonio Demarco for the WBC lightweight title. Although I am not a Broner fan per se, I see him edging a UD in this one. I see it being a competitive fight if Broner is not taking Demarco seriously. Also on the card, will be a heavyweight bout between up and comer and undefeated Seth Mitchell against Johnathon Banks. Mitchell should win this one on his rise toward a shot at the title and Wladimir Klitschko. Could he be that athletic and strong American Heavyweight we have all been looking for? Time will tell.
Also, on the same night on PPV, I have to pay some respect and a shout out for George Saint Pierre in his comeback UFC fight against New Mexico’s Carlos Condit. Although this is a boxing column, we are all fight fans, and this should be a great fight worth watching if you got a buddy willing to fork the bill.
On November 24, it will be a competitive fight between Andre Berto and Robert Guerrero in a non-title welterweight bout at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California on HBO. Berto is coming off a big layoff with much controversy and Guerrero is trying to make a big splash after doing plenty of barking recently to possible opponents in boxing. Let’s see if his bark matches his bite. It will have to against Berto, who has a great combination of speed and power. I am really excited for this one. On the same night, Ricky Fatton… I mean Ricky Hatton makes a comeback appearance on Showtime in Manchester, England. I am curious to see how Ricky looks after three and a half years out of the ring boozing in the Pubs.
To start off December, Miguel Cotto returns to the ring after his loss to Mayweather earlier this year to face undefeated Austin Trout in a light middleweight bout for Trout’s WBA title on December 1st at Madison Square Garden. I have not seen Trout fight much, but I have to say Cotto wins on past competition alone. If Cotto wins and looks good, I see a possible rematch with Mayweather for Cinco de Mayo weekend again in 2013. I hope to be there again if it happens.
Then, on December 8th, the Saga continues. As the Twilight Series comes to an end this holiday season in 2012, so too will the epic battles between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. For the fourth time, the two will square off in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand. This fight will likely be just as competitive and epic as the other three fights between the two little warriors; however, I have to predict Juan Man in this one just as I did in the last one (which I, as did many others, thought he won). I personally think Pacman is losing his fire or his nerve, or both. I could be wrong, but I think politics has his name and attention now.
And, oh yeah, Amir Khan will try and bounce back on December 15, against Carlos Molina in a welterweight match at Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California…. If you are even interested in Khan at this point. I am not. And for you real fight fans, the great super middleweights in the eastern part of the world will be back in action on different weekends over the next month if you are lucky enough to catch them; Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, and Carl Froch all get back into the ring for tune-up fights, or at least they should be tune-up fights for bigger money fights against more popular American fighters down the road. Maybe a rematch between Froch and Ward or a rematch between Kessler and Froch, which I personally would love to see.
Anyways, in summary, the next month is a great month for boxing fans in what is already a great time of year for sports. Happy Holidays.