My pugilistic preview piece got picked up by the folks over at No BS Boxing, a boxing news site and on-line forum. For fight fans, this is a huge showdown between two of the biggest stars in the sport.
From my article...
The current age of boxing sells the paying public on the concept of super fights. Titles don’t matter and weight classes don’t matter. Even a fighter’s recent poor performance or lack of activity can be overlooked, so long as he can be properly packaged into something that fans are willing to pay for. A case in point would be 2007’s version of “The Fight to Save Boxing,” featuring Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather. Coming into the fight, De La Hoya had been in the ring a mere 6 times in the last 5 years, going 4-2 during that span. The fight was held at 154 pounds, a weight that Mayweather had never fought at before, and has not since. Despite the fact that many more “relevant” fights could have been made, none could have been as profitable, and the Cinco De Mayo showdown set records for revenue and PPV buys. Other examples include the Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins farce, Manny Pacquiao vs. De La Hoya, and many others.
In a break from the norm, this Saturday features a true super-fight. Floyd Mayweather (40-0) and “Sugar” Shane Mosley (46-5) have been engaged in a cold war for over a decade. Despite call-outs from each camp over the years, the fight never materialized. Until now.
HBO's BAD series showcases a decent night of fights out of the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. Starting things off with the televised undercard will feature the Ring's #1 Jr. Featherweight contender, the 5'11", Panama-based, Celestino Caballero. Caballero (33-2) has languished in relative obscurity during his impressive career, partly due to fighting in the 122 pound weight class, and partly due to only fighting in the United States a handful of times. Freakishly tall for his division, Caballero seems to have finally tired of calling out Puerto Rico's star featherweight, Juan Manual Lopez, and will square off against the undefeated Indonesian fighter, Daud Yordan. Yordan was first introduced to the American audience in 2008, in a majority decision victory over Antonio Meza, but is best known for his brief appearance in the ring with Northern California's Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero. Brought in as the opponent in a Guerrero showcase, Yordan (25-0) displayed a slick boxing style and surprising power in the two rounds that he was given. Unfortunately, a clash of heads opened a deep gash over Guerrero's right eye in the second stanza, and the bout was stopped and ruled a "no contest."
Yordan appears to be more than just another Asia-based fighter with an inflated record, but Caballero is on another level. Yordan will most likely have some moments, especially in the first few rounds, but will eventually get chopped down by the long reach and distance that Caballero brings to the 126 pound division. Look for a referee stoppage in the 8th-10th round after Yordan absorbs a shellacking from "Pelenchin."
In the main event we will see the return of the WBC welterweight champion, Andre Berto (25-0), in against slick and crafty southpaw, Carlos Quintana. Quintana (27-2) is best known for defeating Paul Williams, the first to do so, and then getting starched in the rematch. Before that, he had played spoiler to HBO's plans by handing the then-undefeated Joel Julio his first loss over 12 rounds. He stepped up in levels again shortly after that success, only to be crushed by Puerto Rican star, Miguel Cotto. Despite similar looking records, Quintana is the more experienced and battle-hardened of the two, and has been in with much higher levels of competition.
The verdict is still out on the Florida-based Berto, who, despite his gaudy record, has yet to make believers out of the hardcore fan base. Berto possesses eye-popping hand speed, along with the ability to throw hard and impressive combinations, but he has yet to truly live up to HBO's heavy marketing of his name. Berto came out the victor in a very close decision against another slick southpaw, Luis Collazo, in what has been his one serious step up to the elite of the division. Berto displayed heart and courage in that fight, if not the best ring smarts, as he often played into the hands of the veteran Collazo.
Berto returns to the ring after nearly 11 months of inactivity, as the disaster in Haiti forced him to pull out of a January 30th bout against "Sugar" Shane Mosley. Berto lost 7 family members in the powerful earthquake that destroyed the city of Port-Au-Prince. He has dedicated this and future fights to the people of Haiti, and will most likely enter the ring in excellent mental and physical condition. Quintana has quite a few tricks up his sleeve, but he will have a huge disadvantage in the speed department, and will get countered with straight right hands and Berto's signature uppercuts throughout what will be a very long night for the Puerto Rican native. It remains to be seen if Berto will become the star that HBO is banking on, but he will remain undefeated for at least a little longer, and will take a wide unanimous decision over the southpaw Quintana.
