Tarver vs. Cunningham: It’s a Sleeper either way

08/15/201508/14/2015 Chris Carlson

(Photo credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment) At first glance “Sleepy Hallow” is a fitting title for the Heavyweight main event tonight for the PBC on Spike. There’s a good chance it could be a sleepy affair. The argument could be made that the bout is being slept on as well. At least the location is solid with a main event featuring somewhat known boxers and two fighters of polish decent on the televised portion of the broadcast which will air live at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Does anyone care about Antonio Tarver’s aspirations of topping George Foreman’s record? Not really. Even with a win the goal won’t be accomplished until he gets a likely shot at Deontay Wilder’s WBC strap. Cunningham isn’t the household name that sparks interest per-say either which is the main reason why this fight has been put out to pasture and thrown on the pile of meaningless fights made by the PBC.

Garcia vs. Malignaggi: Can the “Magic Man” pull a trick out of his hat to upset Danny Garcia?

08/01/2015 Chris Carlson

(Photo credit: Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions) Danny Garcia & Paulie Malignaggi do battle in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center this Saturday night live on ESPN. Daniel Jacobs faces Sergio Mora which represents his toughest test since being stopped by Dmitry Pirog in 2010. The card faces the normal scrutiny that many Al Haymon events get but this scribe won’t be surprised if one of these match ups test the favorite more than fans think. Will the move to welterweight help or hurt Danny Garcia? Can Jacobs look impressive against a defensive fighter?

If we rewound the clock to just under two years ago we would find Danny Garcia at the top of the junior welterweight division. The Philadelphian’s victory over Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse placed him on the doorstep of the elite level and the exposure of being the co-feature to Mayweather/Canelo Showtime PPV raised his profile immensely.

Keith Thurman vs. Luis Collazo: One Time for the Money

07/11/201507/10/2015 Chris Carlson

Keith Thurman steps back in the ring for a second time this year in a stay busy fight against Luis Collazo. The undercard fight matches unbeaten prospect Tony Harrison versus Willie Nelson and it may end up stealing the show. Most think Thurman will win so how will he do it may be the more fitting question. Can Keith accomplish what no one has been able to do Collazo and that is a win by knockout?

This Saturday night marks the debut of Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN in primetime for what will amount to two-plus year’s worth of monthly installments. With the Friday Night Fights series on ESPN2 gone will ESPN’s stronghold in sports trickle down to help the visibility of boxing? The lack of visibility in the sport has hurt boxing greatly and the only time it’s mentioned on Sportscenter is an event involving Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquaio. Or it makes headlines from current or former fighters getting in trouble.

Adrien Broner vs. Shawn Porter: To Catch A Predator

06/19/2015 Chris Carlson

Adrien “The Problem” Broner faces “Showtime” Shawn Porter for Ohio bragging rights not to mention a large step forward on the ladder to stardom. The fight takes place at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas and will be broadcasted live on NBC. A catchweight has been implored by Broner in efforts to reduce Porter’s strength and stamina. Can Broner effectively play matador to Porter’s bull rush in a game of catch the predator?

Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale: Catch Me If You Can

06/06/201506/05/2015 Chris Carlson

Live on HBO from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Miguel Cotto and Daniel Geale meet for the lineal middleweight title. Instead of breaking down the X’s and O’s of the matchup the pugilist masses are mainly fixated on the number 157. That is the number Geale must hit to prevent a possible cancellation. Cotto’s image has taken a big hit of late and even if he does make a big statement this Saturday night the damage is deep. They might as well of called this fight Cotto vs. Geale: To Catch A Mockingbird.

Barring a minor roadblock the only major obstacle that stands in the way of an HBO PPV fight between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez is Daniel Geale. The Aussie has middleweight contender pedigree it’s just too bad that this bout won’t be contested at 160. Instead, this bout will be fought at a catchweight of 157 pounds. Judging by the comments made by both camps in the lead-up it sounds as though sticking to their guns is the plan.

Khan vs. Algieri: King Kong or King of the Con?

05/29/2015 Chris Carlson

Amir Khan and Chris Algieri meet in a game of high-speed chess not checkers in front of a Brooklyn based crowd at the Barclays Center on Spike this Friday night. Khan’s been busy the last few years lining up his ducks in a row in order to land a major fight. Can Algieri pull another rabbit out of his hat the way he did versus Ruslan Provodnikov about a year ago. The co-feature pits the explosive Javier Fortuna against a steady-rising Bryan Vazquez in a matchup that should start the broadcast out with a bang.

Nearly 3 years ago Amir Khan was ready to face Lamont Peterson in a rematch from a close bout. As fate would have it Lamont Peterson failed a random drug test after not informing the agency he’d implanted a testosterone pill in his hip the previous winter before their first meeting. In walks Danny Garcia for a July showdown with the highest of high stakes awaiting Amir in victory in the form of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

Andre Dirrell and James Degale meet in Memorial Day Matinee on NBC

05/23/201505/21/2015 Chris Carlson

East meets West in a Memorial Day Matinee matchup between James Degale and Andre Dirrell. The card will be broadcast live on NBC from Agganis Arena on the Boston University campus. It pits two one-loss fighters hoping to standout as pros to match their amateur pedigree.

Rarely in life or in boxing do you get a second chance to improve upon your a first impression. Once a fighter loses as a favorite or puts on a poor performance, they can be casted away and shot down the ladder only to have to brush him or herself off and pick up pieces to climb back up again. This generally can be the case for non-popular boxers who don’t have a barn-burner style.

Gennady Golovkin vs. Willie Monroe Jr: Good Boy Bad Politics

05/16/201505/15/2015 Chris Carlson

Gennady Golovkin returns to HBO and Southern California this time at The Forum in a showcase matchup against middleweight contender Willie Monroe Jr. The only unknowns heading into this bout is how long before Golovkin take’s out his man as he attempts to keep the streak of 19 KO’s in a row alive.

We last saw Gennady Golovkin in late February finishing off a pesky Martin Murray in the 11th round bringing him one step closer to a breakout fight he so rightfully deserves. At the moment Triple G is caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to boxing politics. Lucky for him his profile is on the rise as he knocks out all comers in front of a growing TV and live event audience.

Canelo vs. Kirkland: Is the Mandingo Warrior ready to take the Cinnamon Challenge?

05/11/201505/09/2015 Chris Carlson

This Saturday night Saul “Canelo” Alvarez takes on James Kirkland live on HBO from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The matchup has been delayed over the last few years but the time has come to see if the Mandingo Warrior is ready take the cinnamon challenge. Unlike the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao PPV, which by the way will be replayed during Saturdays broadcast, the odds are in the fans favor of a two-way action fight!

Back in 2012, all systems seemed a go in terms of the likelihood for making Canelo vs. Kirkland a reality. Inter-turmoil on the James Kirkland’s side stopped this bout from being made, robbing fans of yet another potentially fun and meaningful matchup. Fast forward to late 2014, it took another super fight in Canelo vs. Cotto to fall thru in order to secure James Kirkland a date with destiny.

Mayweather vs Pacquiao: Benjamins and Bragging Rights

05/01/201505/01/2015 Chris Carlson

This Saturday night Floyd Mayweather meets Manny Pacquiao in a legacy fight for the ages. Only a select number of privileged people will take in the fight live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, broadcasted by both Showtime and HBO on PPV for 100 smack-a-roos including HD. With an estimated 100,000 fans heading for Sin City the stakes are as high as they come for both of these 1st-ballot Hall of Famers. Can Pacman apply the type of pressure that’s needed in order to breakdown Floyd’s defensive wall? Or will Money Mayweather add another notch to his resume that will probably be more respect as time passes?

Instead of hashing out all of the details that got us to this place lets jump right into the deep-end. When the boxer vs. puncher style-clash is presented to the boxing public at an elite level it generally creates a debate. If truth be told it’s one of the oldest arguments on the books and the back and forth never truly goes away.