Upcoming Fights and Predictions
by Pedro Fernandez
Tuesday, April 14Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard, Conn., Andrew Golota, Poland, vs. Eli Dixon, Cleveland, 10, heavyweights; Fernando Vargas, Oxnard, Calif., vs. Romallis Ellis, Atlanta, 10, junior middleweights.
Prediction: Golota's first time back after Lennox Lewis fiasco. Dixon nice record with suspect opposition. Safe night for foul prone Pole.
Fernando Vargas an incredible talent who can still make 147 lbs. if need be. Ellis a solid fighter who will "attempt" to test phenom. Never the less, Vargas KO 7
Friday, April 17
Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn., Wayne McCullough, Northern Ireland, vs. Luigi Camputaro, Hartford, Conn., 10, junior feathers; Beck Tackie, Los Angeles, vs. Moses James, Canada, 12, lightweights.
Prediction: First fight in almost 18 months for "Pocket-Rocket" McCullough. Luigi capable but Wayne has point to prove. Pocket-Rocket in six.
Saturday, April 18
Cow Palace, San Francisco, David Tua, Samoa, vs Cleveland Woods, Las Vegas, 10, heavyweights; Carlos Madrigal, Oxnard, vs Alfaro Salinas, Mexico, 8, flyweights.
Prediction: Tua gets 30th win with rout over hard as nails Woods. Power too much in Samoan's favor; Madrigal a classy 112 lber. with world class skills. too much ability for Salinas.
Manchester, England, Naseem Hamed, Britain, vs. Wilfredo Vazquez, Puerto Rico, for Hamed's WBO featherweight title.
Prediction: Hard to beat Ham-head at home at your best. 37 year old Vasquez way past his. Naseem wins by KO inside of seven complete rounds.
Grand Olympic, Los Angeles (UNI), Antonio Diaz, Coachella, Calif., vs. Alberto Cortes, Argentina, 12, for Diaz's IBA super lightweight title; Oba Carr, Detroit, vs. Alfred Ankamah, Ghana, 10, welterweight; Floyd Mayweather, Las Vegas, vs. Gustavo Cuello, Argentina, 10, super featherweights; Diego Corrales, Sacramento, Calif., vs. Manuel Arrelano, Mexico, 8, junior lightweights; Augie Sanchez, Las Vegas, vs. Kino Rodriguez, North Hollywood, Calif.
Prediction: Diaz rising star. Cortes gets drilled mid rounds; Oba Carr being mentioned as third stooge for Oscar De la Hoya joining J.C. Chavez and Yori Boy Camapas (at 147 lbs). Alfred beard has failed him before. Ditto, Carr rolls inside of distance; Floyd on a streak. Nothing indicates Cuello is more than another hapless Argentine in need of a buck. "Pretty Boy" keeps smiling; Diego Corrales extremely gifted fighter with elongated features. Outside of ring woes have forced moves from Sacramento and Las Vegas Now residing in Amarillo, Texas. That being said Diego remains unbeaten with stoppage late; Augie Sanchez lost in 1996 Olympic Trials to "Pretty Boy" Floyd. Good puncher. Needs to be stepped up in class. Don't think Rodriguez is that. Augie keeps his "O."
Monday, April 20
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, Calif., Guty Espadas, Mexico, vs. Agapito Sanchez, Dominican Republic, 10, featherweights; Jesus Chong, Mexico, vs. Ramon Hurtado, Panama, 10, junior flyweights.
Prediction: Son of former fly champ Guty Sr. not chip off old block. Sanchez naturally bigger than string bean Guty Jr. And Agapito one dirty fighter. Upset as Sanchez breaks Guty's boy down before final bell.
Tuesday, April 21
Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles, La., Hasim Rahman, Baltimore, vs. Steve Panell, Roanoke, Va., 12, for Rahman's IBF intercontinental title; Larry Donald, Cincinnati, vs. Ross Purity, Phoenix, 10, heavyweights.
Prediction: Rahman a bit robotic as he learns to fight "on the job." Panell a Virginia hobo who should fall inside of four complete rounds; Donald doing nice things quietly awaiting "Big" fight. Only loss to Riddick Bowe when sucker punched at press conference. Ex-gridiron star Purity may make boxer Donald look like puncher with inside the distance win.
Thursday, April 23
Capitol, Port Chester, N.Y., David Telesco, Port Chester, N.Y., vs. Jay Snyder, Spartanburg, S.C., 12.
Prediction: Who cares!
Friday, April 24,
San Jose Arena, San Jose, CA. (CKSN), Hector Lizzaraga, Fresno, vs Manuel Medina, Mexico, for Lizzaraga's IBF featherweight title.
Prediction: Ham-head gave up IBF diadem rather than face Hector. Reason being hector can whip any feather on any given night. This night Medina falls after being taken to a boxing clinic by the champion.
Saturday, April 25
Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Miss. (HBO), Virgil Hill, Bismark, N.D. vs. Roy Jones Jr., Pensacola, Fla., 12, light heavyweights.
Prediction: Jones avoided fight with Hill for unknown reason. Hill one armed bandit (jab) with little power. Because Jones also refused to fight IBF beltbearer Henry Maske or WBO and world champion Dariusz Michalzewski, Hill made better than $4 million. Jones could have made $15 or more for the two fights because he brought American TV (HBO) with him. Hill beaten in 1991 by Thomas Hearns. Speed the determining factor. Jones too fast. Only question: Does Virgil last route?
Monday, April 27
Carson Community Center, Carson, Calif., Yosuke Nishijima, Japan, vs. Armando Campas, Mexico, 10, cruiserweights.
Prediction: Once beaten Yosuke can fight. Big punch and huge following too much for Campas. Japanese fighter drops bomb within six complete heats.
Tuesday, April 28
Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Thomas Tate, Houston, vs. Anwar Oshana, Chicago, 12, for Tate's NABF super middleweight title; Joseph Kiwanuka, Las Vegas, vs. Demetrius Davis, Washington, 10, super middleweights.
Prediction: Tate always a whisker short of world title belt. Brother of Frank won pair of wars with Joseph Kiwanuka to keep dream alive. Tough call as upstart Oshana has less miles. Still Tate prevails and sets up third tango with Kiwanuka if he can win his undercard bout with Davis.
Friday, May 1
Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio (FOX Sports & Americas), Adan Vargas, Mexico, vs. Ancee Gideon, Okai, Hawaii, 12, for Vargas' NABF bantamweight title; James Leija, San Antonio, vs. Dezi Ford, Akron, Ohio, 10, lightweights; James Coker, San Antonio, vs. Jose Rodriguez, Mexico, 12, junior middleweights; Lance Whitaker, Los Angeles, vs. Willie Phillips, Sharon, Pa., 8, heavyweights.
Prediction: Brother of former WBC feather champ Goyo Vargas classy boxer with world class skills. Gideon TOO short in height. Big ticker not enough. Once beaten Vargas to stay that way; Leija looking for lighting in bottle. Ford provides foil. Jesse James rides on; Coker wins battle of 154 lbers; Lance Whitaker looking for 15th win and 14th stoppage. Gets both here.
Saturday, May 2
Nimes, France (SHOWTIME), Fabrice Tiozzo, France, vs. Terry Ray, Terre Haute, Ind., 12, for Tiozzo's WBA cruiserweight title; Keith Holmes, Washington, vs. Hassine Cherifi, France, 12, for Holmes' WBC middleweight title.
Prediction: Tiozzo a hustling fighter. Any shortcoming in skill department made up for with aggression. Ray rough and tough "White Hope-less." Fabrice stays champ; Holmes fights on foreign soil because he can't draw in States. Lefthander can be boring. Cherifi will come and try. Holmes too good a boxer. Probably wins decision.
Tuesday, May 5
Grand Casino, Biloxi, Miss. (USA), Don Diego Poeder, Netherlands, vs. Robert Daniels, Miami, 12; Vassiliy Jirov, Scottsdale, Ariz., vs. Richard LaMontagne, Everett, Mass., 12.
Prediction: Poeder younger and stronger than soft punching "over achiever" Daniels. Diego prevails with late stoppage or points win.
Saturday, May 9
Sacramento Auditorium, Sacramento CA (UNI) Fernando Vargas, Oxnard, vs TBA, junior middleweights.
Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, N.J. (HBO), Shane Mosley, Pomona, Calif., vs. John John Molina, Puerto Rico, 12, for Mosley's IBF lightweight title; David Reid, Philadelphia, vs. Nick Rupa, Canada, 8, junior middleweights.
Prediction: Shane complete fighter. Maybe starting longtime rule at 135 lbs. WBA's Gussie Nazarov was thought to be best lightweight. Now Moseley gets nod. Molina a very good pug having won ten straight since disputed loss to "Daddy's Boy" De la Hoya. Streak stops here! Shane sweeter than ever with stoppage; Olympic Gold Medalist Reid HBO story in the making. Sponsors, contract and ability make Reid "Gold." Rupa tough fringe contender capable of stunner. But not tonight as Reid wins in last eight round fight.
Tuesday, May 12
Corel Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Otis Grant, Canada, vs. Aaron Davis, New York, 12, for Grant's WBO middleweight title.
Prediction: Lefthanded Grant no big puncher. But neither is Davis. Figures to go distance with Grant winning.
Saturday, May 16
Atlantic City (N.J.) Meldrick Taylor, Philadelphia, vs. Lonnie Smith, Denver, 12; Alex Stewart, Britain, vs. Iran Barkley, Bronx, N.Y., 10, heavyweights.
Prediction: When last heard from Meldrick ordained minister facing indictment on insurance fraud. Smith can stink out any arena on globe. Tough call as neither even close to old form; In New York recently, Iran seen begging Emanuel Steward for shot at Lennox Lewis. Stewart lost control of bodily functions when confronted by Tyson. Big punch. Little heart. Iran looks to be outsized here. Shaky vote for Stewart
Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, Calif. (PPV), Genaro Hernandez, East Los Angeles, vs. Carlos Gerena, Puerto Rico, 12, for Hernandez's WBC super featherweight title; Erik Morales, Mexico, vs. Jose Luis Bueno, Mexico, 12, for Morales' WBC super bantamweight title; Daniel Santos, Puerto Rico, vs. Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Mexico, 10, welterweights.
Prediction: Genaro never beaten at 130 lbs. Maintains streak; Bueno shined at 118 lbs. in close fight with Wayne McCullough. Since then disappointing. Too tall Morales prevails; Santos highly regarded in homeland. Puerto Rico over Mexico in this one.
Bank of America Centre, Boise, Idaho (ESPN2), Kenny Keene, Emmett, Idaho, vs. Marc Randazzo, Chicago, 12.
Prediction: Kenny Keene "Potato Farmer" poster boy. Randazzo once highly touted. Site edge to Kenny. Should claim win going route.
Tuesday, May 19
Corpus Christi (Texas) Memorial Coliseum (USA), Robert McCracken, Britain, vs. Bo James, Newark, N.J., 10, middleweights.
Prediction: English middleweight well schooled and unbeaten in 31 scraps. This is #32. James doesn't have firepower to offset aggressive Brit.
Saturday, May 30
Grand Olympic ,Los Angeles (UNI), Carlos Palomino, Mexico, vs. Wilfredo Rivera, Puerto Rico, 10, welterweights.
Prediction: Wilfredo Rivera should kick the snot out of 48 year old ex-champ who lost to Wilfred Benitez in 1979.
Saturday, June 13
Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas (HBO), Oscar De La Hoya, East Los Angeles, vs. Patrick Charpentier, France, 12, for De La Hoya's WBC welterweight title; Steve Johnston, Denver, vs. Cesar Bazan, Mexico, 12, for Johnston's WBC lightweight title.
Prediction: Oscar gets another notch with French pastry Charpentier Should win with ease in eight frames or less. Real question: When will Oscar fight Felix Trinidad, Ike Quartey, or Jose Luis Lopez? Johnston a slap happy boxer. No pop on punch. HBO wanted Stevie to fight Shane Moseley. promoter Arum said only if Stevie got $1 million. The Denver based fighter has probably never made more than $150 grand per fight. What is Arum really saying? He doesn't want the fight. Stevie should win here.
Sunday, June 14
Trump Taj Majal, Atlantic City, N.J. (ESPN2), Oba Carr, Detroit, vs. Willy Wise, Westbury, N.Y., 10, welterweights.
Prediction: Wise sidetracked last time out by Daryll Coley. Carr a step up Wise can't handle. Possible Oscar foe inches closer to cash-ola!
Thursday, June 25
Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Conn (PPV), Buster Douglas, Columbus, Ohio, vs. Lou Savarese, Greenwood Lake, N.Y., 12; Israel Cardona, Hartford, Conn., vs. Richie Kiley, New York, 10, lightweights.
Prediction: Putting Buster Douglas on PPV akin to OJ Simpson teaching Domestic Violence courses. Lou drilled in upset by Izon last time out after gamely going route with Foreman. Sav should be able to wear Buster down with hustle and aggression; Cardona too good for Kiley. Hartford resident the winner here.
Pedro Fernandez
Ring Talk News Service
The writer has his own site at www.fighters.com He can be reached at flash@inow.com
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