Double Whammy! Mikkel Kessler vs. Carl Froch & Jean Pascal vs. Lucian Bute Set For Late May Fisticuffs
- Posted on Thu, May 2nd, 2013 by Ja Dawson
- Boxing Tickets
Now this is what I am talking about! Four elite boxers, fighting on the same night, with divisional and pound-for-pound rankings on the line.
And as it should be, all fights are "pick 'em" contests, in which either figher can make a strong case for being the favorite.
Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KO's) vs. Carl Froch (30-2, 22 KO's) II (Super Middleweight Unification Bout)
When I predicted the outcome of Froch-Kessler I, I got the prediction right, but didn't necessarily agree with the decision. It was a fight that could have gone either way and was likely tipped in Kessler's favor based on the fact that he was fighting in his native Denmark. You know, that whole "home ring advantage" thing?
This time around, he will not have the home ring advantage. In fact, the fight will take place in London, England. It's not the lovely city of Nottingham (U.K.), but Froch will nonetheless have a huge advatange fighting in his home country.
However, this time around I do not think the location will make the difference. The major difference here is that Froch is fighting at perhaps the highest level of his career. He's coming off of a competitive, albeit slightly one-sided loss to Andre Ward (arguably the best boxer in the world). And there's no shame in that.
But most recently, Froch is coming off a domination (TKO 5) of the highly-touted Lucian Bute and an easy victory over the shopworn Yusaf Mack (KO 3).
Kessler, on the other hand, has been winning but not necessarily against the most stellar competition, unless you consider the disappointing Allan Green a top-notch boxer at this point of his career.
Simply put, I'll take the current form of Carl Froch by late stoppage over Mikkel Kessler on May 25.
Jean Pascal (27-2-1, 16 KO's) vs. Lucian Bute (31-1, 24 KO's)
This fight can be billed the Battle of Quebec since both men call the city their adopted boxing home. Or maybe we should coin it the Battle of the Froch Victims since both men lost to Carl Froch. I'll go with the former. And based on the fact that neither fighter will be able to rely on favorable hometown judging, I expect this backyard brawl to be more exciting than many would assume.
Both men are boxer-punchers, with Bute seemingly having more natural boxing ability, better technique and a much more fluid boxing style. But for what Pascal lacks in these departments, he makes up for in terms of physical strength, fight resume (including Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson), and his ability to take a punch.
So what gives?
Although I am not totally sold on Lucian Bute, especially given his recent shallacking at the powerful hands of Carl Froch, I stll pick him to outhustle and outlast the unorthodox Jean Pascal over 12 brisk rounds in a few weeks.
Will Brooklyn Be In The House When Judah Faces Garcia?
- Posted on Thu, April 18th, 2013 by Ja Dawson
- Boxing Tickets
The literal answer to the question in the article title is "without a doubt," with the fight taking place at the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn.
The question is whether the answer will be figurative as well.
And that's the rub anytime you're talking about Zab "Super" Judah (42-7, 29 KO's). He always seems poised to upset the apple cart. In this case, the favored junior welterweight titlist Danny Garcia (25-0, 16 KO's) is carrying the apples.
The problem for Judah is that Garcia is also carrying younger legs, a seemingly sturdier chin (although it's barely been tested) and an undefeated record.
What Judah has going for him is an impressive fight resume, littered with a proverbial "who's who" of boxers, from Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto to Kostya Tszyu and Cory Spinks. However, as sparkiling as Judah's "boxing CV" is, the problem is that he's a collective 1-4 against the fighters that I just named.
And to make matters worse, the one fighter that he and Garcia have in common (Amir Khan), their respective fight outcomes couldn't have been more different.
Garcia's career highlight came against Khan last summer via a fourth-round technical knockout victory. Judah lost to Khan about a year before that via fifth-round knockout.
Based somewhat on the "Khan outcome" factor, but largely because Danny Garcia is the younger, fresher and more confident fighter, look for him to win a clear-cut decision over Zab Judah when they meet in Judah's backyard in a couple of weeks.
My Shortest Prediction Post Ever: Mayweather Will Dominate Guerrero
- Posted on Thu, April 11th, 2013 by Ja Dawson
- Boxing Tickets
With all due respect to Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s), who is a very competent fighter, he has no chance when he faces Floyd "Money" Mayweather (43-0, 26 KO’s) on May 4 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
I am not sure whether Mayweather will defeat Guerrero by decision, knockout or technical knockout in a few weeks.
But I am sure Guerrero will be on the receiving end of punches like the one captured in this post.
There will be no happy underdog ending in this one.
Canelo Isn’t Just Good Over Oatmeal
- Posted on Thu, April 4th, 2013 by Ja Dawson
- Boxing Tickets
For the Romance language-challenged, canelo (Spanish) translates to cinnamon.
And as my blog post title states, "Canelo Isn’t Just Good Over Oatmeal," he’ll also be good over Austin Trout on April 20. 
And here’s why.
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KO’s) has some key advantages (albeit not many) over Austin "No Doubt" Trout (26-0, 14 KO’s) in their junior middleweight unification match. He is the harder puncher, has faced stiffer competition and will have a heavily partisan crowd supporting him, as the fight will be taking place in San Antonio, Texas in three weeks.
Trout, to his credit, is the more natural and flexible boxer, has faster hands as well as a seemingly better defense.
Both men appear to have pretty sturdy chins and are in tip-top condition.
I truly believe this fight is going to be very competitive, as Trout seems to have a little bit of Timothy Bradley in him. He’s a physically-strong, yet light hitting boxer, with no major fan following. But for what he lacks in fan patronage, he more than makes up for in fighting spirit.
Will Trout go into hostile territory and defeat Alvarez, the same way he did when he dominated Miguel Cotto in Madison Square Garden late last year?
My answer is a "not-so-emphatic" no. I expect Alvarez to win a tight, and possibly controversial decision in a few weeks.
The Filipino Flash Meets The Jackal
- Posted on Thu, March 21st, 2013 by Ja Dawson
- Boxing Tickets
In what sounds like the title of a Marvel comic book, "The Filipino Flash Meets the Jackal" pits Filipino superstar Nonita Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) against the uber-talent, undefeated Cuban boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO’s) in this battle for super bantamweight supremacy. 
On the surface, it appears that Donaire has way too much experience for the seemingly green Rigondeaux. But looks can be deceiving.
Guillermo Rigondeaux had a long and decorated amateur boxing career, winning gold at the Summer Olympics twice (2000, 2004) as well as capturing the Cuban national title seven times at bantamweight. This wealth of experience makes him "not-your-average" 11-fight professional boxer.
And I am sure that Nonito Donaire and his handlers know that. Trust me, the "Filipino Fash" is not banking on a "too green" upstart who he will be able to walk through.
In fact, I expect this fight to be a chess match for a few rounds. Look for Donaire to have some trouble adjusting to the speed and power of Rigondeaux, who is more talented than any fighter he has faced in his entire career.
However, when it is all said and done, look for Donaire to figure out Rigondeaux and lower the boom on him in the later rounds of what promises to be an entertaining fight.
The Rockettes usually play at Radio City Music Hall. On this April 13 evening, expect rockets to fly, disguised as Donaire and Rigondeaux’s fists.

