HBO PPV & SHOWTIME GO ?TOE TO TOE?
San Francisco, CA- With the two cable TV giants going at each others throat again tomorrow night, it is again a weekend for boxing fans???..with a DVR. The fare on Showtime is Joan Guzman challenging Nate Campbell. Over on the HBO PPV channel we have Joel Casamayor and Juan Manuel Marquez. Seeing I THINK Guzman is the most talented of the group, I?ll start with Guzman-Campbell.
DOMINICAN NEEDS FIVE STAR SHOWING
At 28-0 with 17 whacks, the Dominican is by far the most avoided fighter in recent memory. And while his ?Sugar Ray? Leonard type combinations and Muhammad Ali-like footwork is appreciated here, hordes of Manny Pacquiao fans call him, a ?runner? and or worse! They do this because they realize that Guzman would box circles around their icon if they were to meet.
JOAN DOGGED BY INACTIVITY & STYLE
People knock Guzman because they say he has failed to really make his mark after almost 12 years of punching for pay. And while I can understand that position, it really doesn?t carry much water. The truth of the matter is that inactivity brought on by a series of hand injuries truly have curtailed his ascension on the ?pound for pound? list. Whether you?re a Pacquiao fan or not, the truth of the matter is that Guzman or any fighter with his attributes is a nightmare for anybody to face.
CAMPBELL A REBORN FIGHTER OF SORTS
In Campbell, the defending champion of the WBO, WBA, & IBF, Guzman will face a reborn fighter whose determination was enough to turn back the then unbeaten Juan Diaz earlier this year. At 32-5-1 with 25 KOs, Campbell?s resume is dotted with inconsistency. The mere fact that he was KO?d twice by Robbie Peden, who was in turn ?bitch-slapped? by Marco Antonio Barrera, this by itself calls his overall ability into question.
NATE IS THE ?REAL? CHAMPION
Even though I consider Nate the ?true? lightweight (135 lbs) champion, I think ?speed kills? and that being said I feel this fight will turn into a ?showcase? bout for the Dominican dandy Guzman.
CUBA VS MEXICO ON HBO PPV
In a bout that will top an HBO PPV card, Joel Casamayor, the Cuban born fighter whom I?ve always felt was lying about his age, saying he is 37, meets Juan Manuel Marquez. At 36-3-1 with 22 shorts, he last turned out Michael Katsidis with a TKO 10 in March. The recent mars on his record in the last five years amount to two split decisions, one to the late Diego Corrales, the other being to Jose Luis Castillo.
BACK TO HIS AGE
As HBO?s reining Godfather Larry Merchant stated in a ?Ring Talk Radio? appearance last Sunday night that prior to the Katsidis fight, ?Casamayor fought like an old man.? Katsidis, with his relentless style, he forced Joel to fight or lose! And after terrible outings against Jose Armando Santa Cruz, a fight where I thought Joel was clearly outclassed, looking far beyond his reported age.
MARQUEZ DESERVED VICTORY VS MANNY
Against Marquez, a controversial split decision loser last time out to the aforementioned Manny Pacquiao, a match where I forecasted he?d get smoked, when in actuality he won! I, like Nonito Donaire, the World flyweight (112) champ, himself a Filipino, thought that after 12 rounds Juan deserved to have his hand raised!
SOME STILL RECALL NORWOOD STENCH!
Bringing a 48-4-1 record with 35 KOs to this dance with Casamayor, most ?wise guys? think Marquez will prevail here. I caution you to remember that Marquez once fought so terribly against Freddie Norwood on HBO, that the network had talked of never bringing him back. Close fight, leaning towards Marquez in this battle of older guys.
