Bradley: Ready to gamble on Campbell?
Word around camp is that fight fans could be on the brink of seeing a potential showdown at 140 between Nate Campbell and Timothy Bradley. Campbell leaves much lightweight success in his rear view mirror, eager to take over a few blocks north in the jr. welterweight ranks. Considering the potential in Bradley, a solid victory here for Campbell would make a helluva splash and put the rest of the division on notice that there truly is someone there willing to fight anyone, anywhere, anytime, without the political ploys and money talk. Tim Bradley is widely viewed as a rising star with amazing potential, while Campbell is one of those classic 'from-the-school-of-hard-knock' veterans, seasoned with everything in your momma's cabinet and more. The Pavlik/Hopkins showdown, and more recently, the Cintron/Angulo fight showed us precisely what can happen when you pair a rising star with limited experience versus a vet who's 'been-around-the-world' and I...I...I think I have an idea how this one may unfold. It could go down as an epic battle if Mr. "Desert Storm" comes to perform, but if not, this gamble on Campbell could undoubtedly leave his career in shambles? Can't wait to find out!
Berto: Another Dirty Dozen
Andre Berto gave fight fans 12 rounds of action last Saturday night.....uh, well, not quite. Listening to the buzz on the streets, I'm somewhat in shock, yet at the same time in complete unison with most which I've heard in the aftermath of this performance. The common thread amongst everyone I've talked to is that between the constant clinching and the self generated pats on the back he gave himself, ("I showed everyone that I can bang with the best, I'm turning into a complete fighter now"), Berto did very little else to secure a better spot in the minds of fight fans that night. It remains a complete mystery to me how someone with this much talent in the toolbox continues to spoil his presence in the eyes of fight fans with incomplete performances. Kinda hard to pinpoint the problem specifically, but the leading speculation in the minds of most fans comes down to one source. Prior to the fight his trainer, Tony Morgan, said that "it's time to let the light shine or turn 'em off". Most wouldn't question his statement, but many are in-fact beginning to question his placement. Is he the right man for the job? Or is Berto in need of a new motivator? Things that make you go hmmm....
Pacquiao: Say my name, say my name....
Manny Pacquiao was recently quoted as saying that he "has at least 7 weeks to decide what to do next", so he's in no rush to decide until then. With everyone from Mosley, to Mayweather, to Cotto, and beyond calling his name, life can't get any better for the 'Pacman'. Mayweather is believed to be the front-runner, but an already penciled in October 17th HBO date would mean very little time to train for Mayweather. Also, the money question is still a huge one...but should it be? Pacquiao's argument is that he's the man; While with Floyd, his position is that when you compare head-to-head numbers, his numbers against common opponents ran circles around Pacquiao's. (65,000 more against Hatton and 1.1M more against Oscar De la Hoya) - (MW/Hatton: 915,000...MP/Hatton850,000...MW/ODH: 2.4M...MP/ODH: 1.25M). When you look at comprehensive numbers on paper, it's hard to argue against Mayweather, but as we know, paper burns! Pacquiao is the flavor of the month and barring something huge (like a KO of Marquez), Mayweather has little leverage to sell himself as a bigger draw which means he may have to settle for playing second fiddle until he earns his #1 mantle the hard way. And I do mean the "hard" way.
Chagaev: Ch, ch, changes...
Failure to fight in rematch number one...bad. Failure to fight in rematch number two....worst. Being part of three cancellations to fight the same guy....priceless. Aside from his 'Champion-in-recess' strap, that 'priceless' title belongs to Ruslan Chagaev, who has 'pulled out' more lately than many would like to have seen. What's mystifying is the fact that this is the same fighter who cleared blood test and actually fought in a February tune-up, yet he suddenly failed the same Hepatitis blood test when it's time to face a guy he was scheduled to rematch two other times in the past? I would never go out on a limb and call a guy out, because truthfully, we don't know, but for him to go on record and put Valuev down publicly for not taking the fight...c'mon dude! Who would've taken that chance in the ring? And no....Not even for $1.5M dollars...(Which is approximately what Valuev was scheduled to make).
Haye: Exit Haye...Enter Arreola?
Reports have surfaced signaling a cancelation of the scheduled Haye/Klitschko showdown set for June 20th. After all the headless t-shirt wearin', gum-bumpin', and other mindless antics, it appears that the one who did all the talking is the very one forced to do it again as Haye apparently informed all parties involved that a hand injury has forced him out of the showdown. With this happening and no true contender on the horizon, one can't help but ponder what it would be like to see Mexican-American heavyweight Chris Arreola step in against Wladimir. With less than a full 3 weeks until showtime, the odds of that happening are slim to none. So, for now, it appears that the fight card may very well go on as scheduled, but with a far less than entertaining opponent across from Klitschko, considering that none of the true contenders have enough time to get up for the task. Can't see who else gets the nod. Any suggestions?
Spinks-Cintron: Matter of will power vs skill power...
Corey Spinks recently went public with a verbal offer to face Kermit Cintron after seeing the powerful punching Puerto Rican take apart rugged Mexican Alfredo Angulo. We've seen Cintron finally get beyond a tough fighter with an unrelenting amount of pressure, but what we haven't seen is him take a stab at a fighter who won't be there receive those power punches. Cintron showed great improvement, but as fighters like Hopkins have proven, you can't hurt what you can't hit. To some this matchup doesn't spark a fire, but given Cintron's new lifeline and sense of confidence, I think it'll be great to see him test his will against a fighter with skill. At first glimpse, Cintron's power seems to be the deciding factor, but in the end, will it be enough if he fails to land? It'll be intersting to watch and find out.
Taylor/Froch: Dumb and Dumber
When Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch ended their April showdown it appeared the two fighters were headed in separate directions. Froch, perhaps to greener pastures in the sport, and Taylor, perhaps back to the drawing board after grabbing his 3rd "L" in his last four fights. Two opposite directions, huh? Maybe after the fight, but right about now, both men are headed to the same destination...dumbsville...after a couple recent gaffs that could have been avoided. Taylor was arrested over the Memorial Day weekend while acting disorderly on sunny South Beach in Miami, Florida in a totally avoidable scenario; Froch wasn't, but due to tax problems with the local government he was forced to fork over 50% of his ring purses until the unpaid tax tab is complete. Both men have displayed great intelligence in the ring, but outside of it, those actions seem to leave questions. Only thing I have to say is that both cases were totally avoidable...so my question to these two talented figures that i like alot....WHY?
'A-Khan' or 'King Khan
