By Cliff Rold

Last week, the focus was on the Super Six Super Middleweight tournament.  This week, the focus will be on the division the winner of that tournament is likely to find themselves in sooner than later.

Light Heavyweight.

One of the ‘original eight.’

This weekend, its elder statesman goes for a significant piece of history. 

Should history be achieved, it is unlikely the Super Six winner (or Lucian Bute if he should meet and defeat that winner before they rise) will find him waiting.  One never knows though.  People have been waiting more than a decade for him to act his age.  That he has yet to choose to do so is why he is, again, in a week’s most anticipated contest.   

These are the picks of the week.

Pick It: World Champion Jean Pascal vs. #1 Bernard Hopkins (Saturday, HBO, 10 PM EST/7 PM PST)

With six televised cards in the U.S. this week, on as many networks, it’s going to be hard to make choice on all but this one.  This is a sensational doubleheader on paper showing of four of the best at 175 lbs.  Folks who ask why boxing has no mandatory retirement age when Evander Holyfield fights are quickly pointed to one now 46-year old Hopkins (51-5-2, 32 KO).  The former Middleweight Champion and Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight titlist came off the floor twice last year against the almost two-decades younger current king Pascal (26-1-1, 16 KO) to earn a draw.  Many had Hopkins tabbed the winner; without the knockdowns, there would have been no doubt.  He’s getting his rematch, again on hostile turf in Canada, and is it safe to bet Hopkins doesn’t get floored again twice?  Or is it safer to bet he finally gets old?  Pascal is still younger and still blazing fast (even if he doesn’t always know just what to do with his speed).  A Hopkins win surpasses George Foreman as the oldest legit champ the sport has ever seen.  In the opener, a fight which once was to be for a title is now about earning a chance at one sometime down the road.  #2 Chad Dawson (29-1, 17 KO) and #5 Adrian Diaconu have each lost to only one man: Pascal.  After Saturday, one of them is going to have another name on that list.  Dawson is an excellent boxer, Diaconu and exciting pressure fighter, and both should have a tad bit of ring rust here.  Will Dawson head to Canada and, as was the case against Pascal, play too calm early?  If he does, Diaconu will have the crowd on his side and keep winging.  This fight could steal the show.  It is the easy pick of the week.        

Pick Epix: #8 Juergen Braehmer vs. #9 Nathan Cleverly (Saturday, Epix, 4 PM EST/1 PMPST)

 

Will this be better than the last EPIX foray into boxing?  It’s hard to tell just yet.  Last time the WBO 175 lb. titlist Braehmer (36-2, 29 KO) was slated to fight, in a unification contest no less, he bailed at the last minute citing illness.  If he shows up for Cleverly (21-0, 10 KO), fans could get a corker on a rare day featuring three all top ten contests in the same class, on the same day.  Bookending fights around a barbecue isn’t a bad idea at all.  If Braehmer doesn’t show up…it would still probably be better than Vitali Klitschko-Odlanier Solis.  That’s not saying much. 

Pick Solo: Charles Huerta vs. Christopher Martin (Friday, Telefutura, 11:30 PM EST/PST)

24-year old Featherweight Huerta (16-2, 9 KO) has grown up before the eyes of the boxing world in a way few young men have in recent years.  Under the spotlight provided by his affiliation with Golden Boy and their Fight Night series, Huerta has been matched tougher than is sometimes the case for rising talents.  Tougher matching has meant some setbacks, both to fellow talented younger men.  Coming off a narrow loss to an undefeated Raul Hirales, Huerta draws an even tougher assignment, the undefeated Martin (21-0, 6 KO).  Martin showed serious stuff in taking the ‘0’ off Bantamweight Chris Avalos last year.  Is his being placed with Huerta a chance to experience the same for himself or is this a showcase for Martin and a sign that Huerta is already being transitioned to quality opponent?  Either way, it’s a nice main event and the best of the lot for Friday.

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Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com