?Kirkland fascinates me. He?s one of the few genuine power punchers out there. I can?t see him often enough.? ? HBO analyst Larry Merchant on junior middleweight contender James Kirkland, who fights this weekend on HBO
This weekend, HBO?s World Championship Boxing will stage a doubleheader from the Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas when WBC junior welterweight champion and Mexican legend Erik Morales defends his belt against tough Philadelphia Danny Garcia while junior middleweight contenders James Kirkland and Carlos Molina square off on the undercard.
Each bout figures to be wildly entertaining given the track records of the four participants with Morales, and Kirkland to a smaller degree, having endeared themselves to audiences because of their all-action theatrics. The tests they face seem formidable as Chicago?s Molina is an overachieving workhorse, and Garcia, a well-rounded, emerging contender, is coming off of a convincing unanimous decision over former champion Kendall Holt this past October.
Speaking with longtime HBO color analyst Larry Merchant for our ongoing column, he was able to take a quick look at the card while offering up a few sound bites as only he knows how.
In his own words, this is what Merchant had to share about this weekend?s HBO twin bill?
