Saturday, December 7 2013 on SHOWTIME Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY Paulie Malignaggi vs. Zab Judah (welterweight) – It says here that you need real firepower to mentally break down Judah. But then again, we all saw Floyd Mayweather and Cory Spinks beat Zab with a well timed and placed jab. I see Malignaggi doing the same, it is going to be controversial, but the Magic Man Malignaggi should edge this one out. Malignaggi by split decision. Devon Alexander vs. Shawn Porter (IBF welterweight title) – Devon should beat Porter by using his big fight experience to carry him into the later rounds and doing the little things that make a big impression to the judges. But Shawn seems to be fighting with a chip on his shoulder these days, and when you mix that with his hunger for super stardom, that is a deadly combination. Porters head movement has improved and his ability to sell a good faint has as well, he will need to make it a head to the chest type of fight to see his hand get raised. Devon will look to keep Porter away with double and triple jabs, his left hook downstairs must be avoided because he places that thing in there and kills you with that shot. I may be way wrong for this, seeing that Alexander?s fangs are out. But I will take Porter to do just enough to win it by split decision in a very close tough fight to score. Erislandy Lara vs. Austin Trout (WBA interim super welterweight title) – Lara is a slippery slick boxer that does not impress to the naked eye, but his right cross is a dangerous weapon that is hard to miss because his left hand is so closely being watched. Lara?s footwork is also slept on, but Trout turns his right hand over quite nicely and does so in a very clever way. Trout will throw away a left, touch you downstairs, then the right creeps in. It is going to be an action fight in spurts but the awkwardness of these two styles will show face in a major way. I am taking Trout to shut the lid on Lara by majority decision. Saturday, December 7 2013 on HBO Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Joseph Agbeko (WBA/WBO junior featherweight title) – Rigondeaux is a ring general and I have been high on him ever since I first laid eyes on him in the Olympics. He has sick footwork and has very quick hands with power behind his shots. It is going to take Agbeko to turn in a King Kong performance to beat Rigo, does Agbeko still have one more big performance in him? That is the question, thing is, Rigondeaux seems to have all the answers. Rigondeaux by unanimous decision is my pick. He will catch Agbeko entering the strike zone each and every time. Glen Tapia vs. James Kirkland (middleweight) ? A lot of people are picking Tapia, but I see Kirkland not only winning this one, but doing so by knockout. Tapia is a bull and is game for an all out war, but when Kirkland is in beast mode, he can turn off the lights on you. Give me Kirkland by K.O. inside 9 brutal rounds.
