For those not ponying up $49.99 for tonight’s pay-per-view, you’re in luck. We’ll be covering all four fights, including the Diaz-Pacquiao main event for Diaz’s WBC lightweight title. Even if you consider it a mismatch, this is a fight that promises action. Diaz is a straight-ahead fighter and we all know what Manny does.
The action starts at 9pm ET, assuming Comcast doesn’t screw up (and this is always worth mentioning beforehand, because it wouldn’t be the first, second, or third time). Live updates will take place in the comments section. Join us!
Picks and a little pre-fight talk? Why not!
Diaz-Pacquiao: Stepping up yet another weight class is a huge, huge deal for Pacquiao, but he looks no different than usual physically, and Diaz has no real size advantage on the Pac Man. Diaz himself says he’s used to fighting guys taller than him — Pacquiao is listed as a half-inch taller, but it looks like more than that. Both are southpaws. Pacquiao has almost every physical edge, it appears, and has knocked out some tough, tough guys along the way. I think Diaz will show up and make a fight of it as best he can, but in the end, he gets outclassed by a better, stronger, faster man. Pacquiao TKO-9
Luevano-Santiago: Luevano is a solid but unspectacular boxer who does all the little things, but he was knocked down in his last fight against Terdsak Jandaeng. He recovered very well and dominated the bout (he was dominating the round in which he got caught, too). I’m a big fan of Santiago’s. Do I feel upset? No, not really. But I think he’s got a very good chance, and that this is the most even fight of the night on paper. Luevano UD-12
Soto-Lorenzo: Think of this fight as Soto being rewarded by Top Rank for all his hard work. The interim WBC 130-pound strap (held by Pacquiao, but sure to be vacated) is on the line. Soto was made to look foolish by Joan Guzman in his last major outing, and Lorenzo is a 36-year old knockaround guy who’ll have some decent tales to tell someday. They’re similar fighters in many ways, but Soto is taller and eight years younger than his opponent. Give me Humberto via piling up the punches and doing good damage. Soto TKO-6
Fields-Barrett: Well, they had to drop one absolute turd onto the card, I guess. This 10-round heavyweight “attraction” features a couple of guys that either have been waxed by good opposition (Barrett) or surely would get waxed if they ever fought good opposition (Fields). I like “Two Gunz” more than I like “Railroad Tye,” but that’s not really Tye’s fault. It’s just that Arum so often put his junk fights against bums and cans on TV with their Versus Network deal, and I’ve had to see way too much of an uninteresting if likable fighter. I’d pick Monte because I hope he wins and rids us of Fields before Tye’s 6’8″ frame and Americanness grants him a title shot where he gets manhandled, but Barrett’s 37 and it’s been three years since he beat anybody of any note whatsoever — and really, have Owen Beck and Dominick Guinn every truly distanced themselves from the likes of Cliff Couser and Damon Reed? Fields TKO-7
