Amir Khan has been on the brink of fighting Floyd Mayweather three times already, but in each of those times he’s come out empty handed. On Saturday, Britain’s King Khan looks to come up with a homerun performance that will finally land him the fight he’s been long asking for. Standing in between Khan and a date with boxing’s Money Man is American Chris Algieri, the underdog of underdogs who shocked Ruslan Provodnikov last year. The two will fight for Khan’s WBC Silver Welterweight title on May 29th at the Barclays Center in New York.

Is the Fourth Time The Charm?

Khan has literally thrown himself into the Floyd Mayweather Jr. Sweepstakes but has been thrice bypassed by boxing’s ultimate Money Man.  Twice last year, Mayweather fought Argentine Marcos Maidana and then logically chose to fight Manny Pacquiao last May 2 in the richest bout in boxing history. With Mayweather having fought virtually all the big names available, the Bolton, England native however, is hoping that the fourth time will be his charm.

Khan is coming off four consecutive wins after his shocking 4th round TKO loss to Danny Garcia in 2012. The former WBA and IBF light welterweight titleholder scored a lopsided unanimous decision win over former IBF Welterweight champion Devon Alexander in his most recent bout last December 13th. He has not lost a bout since going under the wings of famed trainer Virgil Hill after the Garcia defeat. If Khan gets by Garcia, he will once again be in the running to land Mayweather’s next and perhaps last fight.

Against All Odds

Always being doubted because of his good lucks, college degree and kickboxing background, Chris Algieri has always been fighting the odds. None was more significant when he challenged then WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov last June. Algieri survived a damaged eye in the first round of the fight and tons of heavy blows from the Siberian Rocky to come away with a stunning split decision win. Undefeated and coming off the biggest win of his career, Algieri vacated the title and embarked on yet another bigger challenge: fighting Manny Pacquiao in Macau. Algieri was overwhelmed and overmatched by the Filipino dynamo who dealt him his first professional boxing career loss last November 2014.

Despite the one-sided unanimous decision loss to Pacman, Algieri showed a lot of courage by getting up from a total of six knockdowns. He got hit by 107 more power punches and was able to land just 108 out of 469 total punches thrown. Despite all these disadvantages, Algieri lived to see the final round and hear the final bell against the highly favored Pacquiao.

Who Takes This?

For the third consecutive fight, Aglieri enters the ring as a massive underdog. He is a +850 in this one while Khan is the overwhelming favorite at -1800. But as we said earlier, this is nothing new to Chris Algieri. Against Khan, Algieri must avoid the toe-to-toe confrontations because as in his fight against Provo and Pacman, he got outslugged and got drilled hard. What Algieri did to Provodnikov in the latter stages of their fight was keep his distance and pick his shots. Against Khan, that may be his only chance.

Khan’s natural instinct is a brawler and that’s what got him in trouble against Bredies Prescott, Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia. But as we’ve seen in his last three fights, Khan has been a controlled boxer under Virgil Hunter. The “new” Amir Khan utilizes the ring and uses his full arsenal of boxing skills to beat his opponents. Now that’s what Algieri wants. However, Khan should realize during the fight that his opponent doesn’t have the power of a true welterweight because he isn’t one. Once he figures that out, Khan should stop Algieri in the middle rounds and get his homerun win.

The title bout that we’ve long waited for is finally days away from fruition.

A Year of Detours and False Starts

UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman will finally defend his title against Vitor Belfort in a matchup that has been on and off for the past year. Belfort earned the right to face Weidman after three spectacular highlight reel knockout victories over Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson in 2013.  That fight was originally scheduled for UFC 173 in May of last year but a February 2014 ban on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) by the Nevada State Athletic Commission prompted Belfort to beg off the schedule. Belfort has a medical exemption to use TRT but with the NSAC ban, he asked for a period off to let his body adjust.

After it was agreed that their bout would be moved to UFC 181 in December of 2014, Weidman injured his hand and forced the fight to be moved farther ahead to UFC 184. One month before the bout, though, Weidman once again pulled out of the fight after injuring himself in training, pushing the fight back once again to UFC 187 on May 23rd – more than one year after its original schedule. But with only a few days left before Saturday, it’s almost safe to say that a year of detours and false starts is over, at least for this fight.

Not the Same Phenom

Weidman-Belfort used to be one of the most anticipated match-ups in the UFC especially after the Phenom went on a tear in 2013 and after Weidman dethroned Anderson Silva in July of that same year. But while everyone back then felt that Belfort would give Weidman a run for his strap, many have changed their mind and now feel that the Phenom is just a stepping stone to a more interesting title fight between Weidman and Luke Rockhold or Jacare Souza.

For one, the TRT-less Vitor Belfort physically looks like the Belfort who lost five of seven fights from 2005-2006. Gone is the ripped Phenom who obliterated one title contender after another in 2013. When Belfort made a TV appearance in the latest episode of UFC Embedded, he looked nowhere close to being a Phenom. Secondly, Belfort has not fought in over a year with his last octagon appearance in November 2013. Weidman may have been inactive lately but our last sight of him was surviving a tough five round grinder against Lyoto Machida at UFC 175 last May of 2014.

Fight Prediction

UFC flyweight champion Jose Aldo predicted that Belfort will KO Weidman within the first two rounds. But he may have said that because of national affinity and admiration more than facts and statistics.

Weidman enters Saturday a 3-1 favorite to beat Belfort. The Brazilian phenom is now 38-years old and is no longer the raging 20-year old bull who captured the UFC Heavyweight Tournament in 1997.  The latest version of Vitor Belfort looks like a physically fit middle-aged man, more than an elite title contender. On the other hand, Weidman has looked impressive fight after fight. If he is 100% healthy, he has all the tools to defeat Vitor Belfort.

The blueprint of beating Belfort is in the history books. Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz survived Belfort’s initial flurry and let his energy run out. The other men who beat him also had similar game plans. A healthy Chris Weidman is capable of doing that and more. Weidman is younger, faster and stronger. But the main thing in this fight isn’t really Weidman at all, but Vitor Belfort, himself.

We all saw the difference between TRT Vitor and non TRT Vitor. The latter went 4-6 from 2002 to 2006 while the former looked like the 1997 Phenom. The question is which Belfort will show up on Saturday night? We’ll won’t get our answers until the first strikes are thrown. In the meantime, these clouds of doubt over Vitor Belfort make him a bad gamble and Chris Weidman a logical betting choice.

UFC #11 ranked heavyweight Roy Nelson will return to Japan on September 27th to take on former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett in the main event of UFC Fight Night 78 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Big Country in Small Nation

Nicknamed “Big Country”, the Las Vegas, Nevada native Nelson will be fighting for the second time in as many years at the Saitama Super Arena. Last year, he was knocked out in the second round by the Super Samoan Mark Hunt in the main event of UFC Fight Night 52 in the same arena. Hunt would go on to challenge Fabricio Werdum for the interim UFC heavyweight title at UFC in his next fight.

On the other hand, Nelson succumbed to another defeat at UFC 185 last March 15th, suffering a one-sided unanimous decision loss to Alistair Overeem. Big Country has gone 1-4 in the last two years, with two unanimous decision losses to Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier in 2013. His lone victory over this drought period has been a brutal one punch first round KO of Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera at the main event of UFC Fight Night 39 in April of 2014. With his recent struggles. a loss to Barnett on September could mean the pink slip for Roy Nelson, hence this fight should be a must-win for Big Country.

A Decorated Veteran

Like Nelson, Josh Barnett is in the twilight of an illustrious MMA career which included impressive runs in organizations such as Pride, Strikeforce, Pancrase and the UFC. Barnett beat the legendary Randy Couture via 2nd round TKO at UFC 36 in 2002 to capture the UFC Heavyweight title. However, he was stripped of the belt after testing positive for banned substances. Barnett then took his talents to Pancrase where he won and defended twice the Pancrase open weight championship. He then went on to reach the PRIDE 2006 Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament finals, beating Minotauro Noguiera and Mark Hunt along the way. Before coming back to the UFC, Barnett also competed in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament in 2012, losing to Daniel Cormier in the final round.

A Crossroads Fight

With Nelson at 38 and Barnett at 37, this should be a crossroads fight for both fighters. Because although Barnett is 1-1 in his UFC return, he looked “old” against a younger Travis Browne and got knocked out in the first round of their bout at UFC 168. Barnett hasn’t fought in the UFC since that December 2013 loss and instead appeared at Metamoris 4 last August to face jiu jitsu world champion Dean Lister. Barnett won that fight and became the first man to submit Lister in 16 years.

UFC Fight Night 78 will serve as the culmination of Road to UFC: Japan, a reality show in the mold of the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter series. Nelson and Barnett will be the coaches for the fighters and as with the TUF tradition, they will square off in the finale in what could be one of them’s final appearance in the UFC.

Timothy Bradley and Jesse Vargas shook hands at ringside during the Raymundo Beltran-Takahiro Ao fight last Friday.  The next time they meet will be inside the ring on June 27th at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Moving Up in Weight

Vargas, the WBA World light welterweight champion, will be moving up in weight to take on Bradley, the former two-division champion in a 12-round welterweight bout that will be televised via HBO Championship Boxing.

The 25-year old Vargas is coming off two successful title defenses in 2014, outpointing the previously unbeaten Anton Novikov last August and then decisioning former lightweight world champion Antonio De Marco last November. Trained by Roy Jones Jr., Vargas is unbeaten in 26 fights with 9 knockouts.

Although he holds a 140 pound title and hasn’t relinquished that belt yet, Vargas said that he has been having trouble making 140 pounds and is decided on moving up in weight class because he said that he didn’t want to “go to the point where the last half-pound would hurt him during a fight”. Vargas has also fought in the past as a welterweight and even won the minor WBC Continental Americas Welterweight title in 2013.

Redemption Fight

On the other hand, Timothy Bradley is out for redemption because after beating Manny Pacquiao in 2012, surviving a Fight of the Year bout against Ruslan Provodnikov in March 2013 and then winning a close split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in October of 2013, Bradley hasn’t won in his last two fights.

First, he lost via a clear unanimous decision against Manny Pacquiao during their rematch in April of 2014. Bradley then figured in a controversial split draw against Argentinian slugger Diego Gabriel Chaves last December.

Bradley was earlier rumored to lock horns with former welterweight champion Shawn Porter in a fight that would have determined Kell Brook’s next challenger. But because Brook is managed by Al Haymon whom Bradley’s promoter Top Rank Promotions has differences with, the 31-year old Palm Springs California native’s team decided to change course and fight Vargas instead.

A Dangerous Gamble

Fighting Vargas is a dangerous gamble for Timothy Bradley, who is certainly on a different level than his opponent. Bradley has fought Pacquiao twice, Marquez, Ruslan Provodnikov, Devon Alexander and Lamont Peterson in the past, while Vargas is an up and coming secondary belt holder. He may not be as recognizable as Bradley’s most recognizable foes, but that’s where he becomes dangerous.

Vargas is young, talented and undefeated. Although he may be going up in weight, he’s fought as a welterweight before. Indeed this was a bold move by Bradley, but it was unnecessary. A loss could put his career in dire straits, especially since he is 0-1-1 in his last two bouts. There is no doubt that Bradley is eons better in skills, but against a fighter who’s got nothing to lose and everything to gain,  he’s got to be in the best shape of his life on June 27th.

One of the most anticipated lightweight bouts of the year which was a probable #1 contender’s match has been scrapped after one of its combatants suffered an undisclosed injury during training.

Another Knee Injury?

Khabib Nurmagomedov reportedly suffered an injury during training and is out of his UFC 187 bout against the streaking Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. And while not official word on the type of injury suffered by the undefeated  Russian fighter, sources are saying that it’s a knee injury that will cost Nurmagomedov his slot at the May 23rd event. Nurmagomedov is widely considered as the top contender for the lightweight division because of his unbeaten 22-0 record and the fact that his last fight was a win over current UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos in April of 2014. However, Khabib has not fought since that bout after he suffered a torn ACL. No timetable has been announced for Nurmagomedov’s return.

Cowboy’s New Foe

As a result of Nurmagomedov’s injury, Cerrone will now face Canadian John Makdessi at UFC 187. Makdessi is 6-3 with 3 knockouts in the UFC and is 13-3 overall. The 29-year old fighter from the Tristar Gym is coming off a first round TKO of Shane Campbell at UFC 186 last week. Makdessi faces a tough task of stepping in for Nurmagomedov within four weeks of the fight because he will be fighting one of the hottest fighters in the game today.

Donald Cerrone has been on a mean tear, winning seven fights in a row including two which were fought in between a fifteen day period last January. Cerrone’s last two wins have come against Myles Jury and Benson Henderson. Prior to those two fights, Cerrone annihilated the likes of Edson Barboza, Jim Miller and Eddie Alvarez en route to this current win streak. He and Nurmagomedov were schedule to fight for the #1 contender spot. With the injury to Nurmagomedov, it’s uncertain now if the UFC will give the title shot to Cerrone since he will be facing a lower ranked opponent.

The cancellation of the Cerrone-Nurmagomedov bout is yet another blow to UFE 187. Earlier in the week, the UFC pulled the plug on UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones by taking him off the event following a hit-and-run accident where a felony charge is expected to be filed against Jones. Jones was stripped of his title and suspended indefinitely as a result of the incident. While Daniel Cormier steps in for the main event against Anthony Johnson, the Cerrone-Makddessi bout doesn’t have the star power it used to have with Khabib on the card.

A Cinco de Mayo boxing card isn’t complete without a Mexican champion.

Final Piece of the Puzzle

Mayweather Promotions officially announced on Saturday that WBC Super Bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz of Mexico has been added to the undercard of the mega-bout between undefeated Pound for Pound champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Filipino 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd.

Although his opponent hasn’t been named yet and it hasn’t been announced if his fight will be for his world title, Santa Cruz has been tabbed to fight in a bout that has been named as the “co-feature” of the mega fight between the world’s two most popular boxing icons. It also marks the third time that Santa Cruz will be fighting in a Mayweather undercard. He knocked out former champion Alexander Munoz in the fifth round of his junior featherweight debut in May of 2013 in the undercard of Mayweather-Guerrero. He also appeared in the Mayweather-Maidana 2 fight card and knocked out Manuel Roman in two rounds to retain his strap.

With the inclusion of Santa Cruz, the final piece of the May-Pac showdown has been added. The undefeated Mexican champion has a record of 29-0 with one draw and 17 knockouts. Fighting out of Southern California, Santa Cruz won the vacant IBF Bantamweight title in 2012. He defended that title three times before moving up in weight to face Victor Terrazas for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight crown. He’s since defended that belt four times, including a unanimous decision victory over former champion Christian Mijares. The 26-year old Santa Cruz is considered as one of the up and coming Mexican champions.

Sharing the Billing

As part of the contract, Top Rank Promotions will provide the other televised bout of the card as a co-promoter. Top Rank fielded in featherweight champion and amateur legend Vasyl Lomachenko for the fight card. The undefeated WBO featherweight king will defend his belt against Puerto Rican Gemalier Rodriguez. Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, made headlines when he fought Orlando Salido for the WBO title in only his second professional fight. However, the gritty Salido forced a split draw to foil the Ukrainian’s record- breaking plan. In his next fight though, Lomachenko proved his worth by outboxing american prospect Gary Russell Jr. to win the vacant WBO featherweight belt.

Both Mayweather promotions and Top Rank will also field their choice of two un-televised bouts for the fight card. This bill sharing is part of the agreement penned by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao who will be fighting in what is being dubbed as the richest fight in boxing history. And rightfully so, considering that the fight is five year in the making and involves the two biggest names in boxing. Adding a Mexican champion in Leo Santa Cruz gives the card a Mexican flavor in honor of the Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Boxing fans have long waited to see Andre Ward fight again. That wait is almost over.

Going Home

Ward’s camp announced last Wednesday that the super middleweight champion will return to action on June 20th against an opponent not yet determined. But one thing is certain in Ward’s comeback fight: it will be held at the Oracle Arena in his hometown of Oakland, California.

The fight will mark the 6th time in his pro career that Ward will be fighting at the Oracle Arena which is also the home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. The undefeated former #2 best pound for pound boxer will be fighting for the first time since winning a unanimous decision over Edwin Rodriguez in November 2013 in Ontario California.

Contract Dispute Over

Ward’s hiatus from boxing was self-made rather than by injury. The 31-year old California native had a long court battle against Goosen Promotions over his promotional contract. But after Dan Goosen’s death last September, Ward and Goosen Promotions settled the dispute for undisclosed terms.

Shortly after his contract with Goosen Promotions was ended, Ward signed with music mogul Jay-Z’s new sports promotion Roc Nation in a highly publicized affair last January. Not long after bringing Ward to their fold, Roc Nation also signed Puerto Rican superstar and middleweight champion Miguel Cotto to bolster its new stable of boxers.

Long Lay-Off

Ward rose to superstardom when he dominated and won the Super Six Boxing Classic super middleweight boxing tournament of 2011. Ward defeated world class boxers like Mikkel Kessler, Alan Green, Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch in the tournament. In between the tournament, Ward also made a successful title defense against Saiko Bika.  Although Ward won all those bouts on points, his victories were so decisive that he was named The Ring’s 2011 Boxer of the Year.

He’s only fought twice since dominating Froch in the Finals of the Super Six tournament and unify the 168 pound titles.  Ward wanted to fight a tune-up bout this month or May but HBO wasn’t willing to pay a hefty sum without a guarantee of a big fight following it. Without that agreement, Roc Nation decided that Ward will not fight on HBO for the first time since 2009. Instead, they are eyeing to hold it over BET.

Rematch with Froch?

While Ward has been stripped of his titles because of inactivity, he is still the WBA “Super” champion and was ordered by the organization to defend the belt against Froch in June. Unfortunately, the Cobra is injured and won’t be able to fight on that date although the rematch could be scheduled later this year.

As for his June 20 opponent, Roc Nation said that they will make the announcement shortly, although the names of England’s Paul Smith and Mexican Marco Antonio Periban have floated in the rumor mill. For Ward, the opponent’s name doesn’t matter. What he wants is to get back in the ring and prove that he still belongs to the upper echelon of boxing.

Anthony Pettis is making up for lost time.

Quick Turnaround

Three months after his impressive submission win over top contender Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181 last December 6, UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis returns to the Octagon to headline UFC 185 this Saturday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Pettis will put his strap on the line against the streaking Rafael Dos Anjos who owns three consecutive and impressive wins over a nine month period.

The quick turnaround is seen as Pettis’ way of making up for lost time after he missed 16 months of action following his 1st round 2013 Submission of the Year win over former champion Benson Henderson during their title match ( and rematch) at UFC 164 last August 2013. He was scheduled to defend his belt against Josh Thompson in December that year but Pettis pulled out of the event one month prior to the fight, citing a knee injury.

Pettis was also involved in a “Super Fight” talk against featherweight champion Jose Aldo, but that never materialized and Pettis was later booked to coach opposite Melendez at TUF 20 with the two fighting each other at the finale as with the tradition of the reality show where coaches fought in the final event.

Begging For a Title Shot

Dos Anjos ended 2014 as the #1 ranked contender after going 3-1 during the year and ending it with three impressive wins over Jason High, Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz. He started 2014 on the wrong foot when he lost via unanimous decision to the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov in April 2014. However, he rose in the rankings with a second round knockout of Jason High and then his controversial first round stoppage of the former champion Benson Henderson. After beating Henderson, Dos Anjos was “begging” UFC Dana White for a title shot against Pettis. But since Pettis was scheduled to fight Melendez, the UFC gave him bad boy Nate Diaz instead. Dos Anjos punished Diaz for three rounds and won via unanimous decision to earn the #1 contender position.

Dos Anjos has been in the UFC since 2008 but has never fought for the title. He’s always been known as a good contender but he never became elite until he polished his striking skill under the tutelage of famed trainer Rafael Cordiero. Now a complete fighter, Dos Anjos believes he has what it takes to reach the summit of the lightweight division and topple Pettis.

Who Takes This?

With his striking game improved, Dos Anjos has seen a career resurgence much like what Fabricio Werdum has done in the heavyweight division. Dos Anjos has always been a special physical specimen who has elite athleticism but Cordiero’s given him that devastating punch-kick combo that punishes the opponent from head to the legs. His right hand packs a mean punch that can knock out anybody in this weight class (Just ask Bendo). Dos Anjos is also an outstanding wrestler who can shoot a good double. This Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt has a heavy base and owns nice passes. He also has a powerful ground and pound game.

Unfortunately for Dos Anjos, he is fighting a once in a lifetime talent in Pettis. If Dos Anjos’ athleticism is elite, Pettis’ is out of this world. He is a marvel to watch with dynamic moves we’ve never seen before. Pettis’ killer instinct is unrivaled. He uses the entire octagon as his stage to slowly devour his prey. It’s hard to say whether Pettis is a better striker than a submission artist because he excels in both. He is smart and cunning but it isn’t all about skill for this champion. He also packs a lot of power in both his punches and kicks. If there is ever a weakness that Dos Anjos can take advantage of, it’s Pettis’ defense.

More than head movements and blocking shots, Pettis’ defense is more of movement and maintaining distance. It will be interesting if Dos Anjos sees this though. Overall, Pettis is the solid favorite at -430 while Dos Anjos is a +345 underdog. It will be an interesting fight on the feet though with Dos Anjos’ improvement. Experts are picking Pettis to win by late knockout as Dos Anjos tends to overuse his durability to walk through his opponents’ shots in order to impose his will and game. That has worked against other opponents. But not against Anthony Pettis.

Undefeated WBO, WBA and IBF light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev ( 26-0-1 with 23 knockouts) puts all three of his belts on the line against former WBC 175 pound champion Jean Pascal (29-2-1 with 17 knockouts) this Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Russian Krusher

Nicknamed the “Krusher”, Kovalev is among the sport’s most devastating punchers with an 88% knockout ratio. He unified the light heavyweight belts by defeating Bernard Hopkins via unanimous decision last November 8th in a career-defining performance that established him as the man to beat in his weight class.

Kovalev burst onto the championship scene in 2013 when he knocked out Nathan Cleverly in the 4th round of their WBO title bout. He then proceeded to defend that belt three times via knockout in a total time of 11 rounds. But despite the dominance, the lack of a marquee names on his resume put an asterisk over his title reign. Then came the opportunity to fight Hopkins, and Kovalev turned in the performance of a lifetime.

Kovalev’s win over Hopkins answered all questions about his boxing skills. Kovalev outboxed the master tactician Hopkins and punished him throughout the 12-round affair. He intelligently boxed against Hopkins and was effective in neutralizing B-Hop’s offense. He also showed patience and maturity while never getting excited about trying to put away his opponent although he had him hurt a couple of times in the fight.

Long Road Back

Pascal won the WBC light heavyweight title in 2009 and then became lineal champion in 2010. He lost his belts during his rematch against Bernard Hopkins in 2011. After a year and a half off the ring, Pascal returned to the ring and racked up three straight wins and a no-contest to return to the title picture. Pascal must be very motivated in this bout. He is not only fighting in his home country, but he is also after the other person who has the remaining piece of the light heavyweight title-Adonis Stevenson. Like Pascal, Stevenson is Canadian. And should Pascal pull-off an upset against Kovalev, he should be in line for a big money fight against Stevenson in Canada. He was once the man to beat in the light heavyweight division when he defeated Chad Dawson in 2010 but lost his glory the following year. This fight will mark the first time Pascal will fight for a major world title since losing to Hopkins.

Who Takes This?

By all books, Kovalev is the favorite to knockout Pascal in the middle rounds. Most have the Russian champion a -550 pick over Pascal who is a +375 underdog. Pascal starts like a raging bull, throwing punches from any conceivable angle. He always goes for the early kill and sometimes swings wildly which should be a mistake against an accurate power puncher like Kovalev. Kovalev is tall and long for a light heavyweight. He sets up his right hand with a stiff jab, which he uses as a range guide more than a weapon. Once he finds his range, he dissects his opponent with powerful head and body punches.

The other thing with Pascal is that he seems to run out of steam after his fast starts. The sting on his punches evaporates as the fight gets longer which is the reason why we see him fight in spurts. Again, this will be to the advantage of Kovalev who showed against Hopkins that he can fight 12 full rounds. Against Pascal, all Kovalev has to do is weather the early storm by staying away and using his superior footwork. By the middle rounds, Pascal should be his for the taking.

As expected, WBO lightweight champion Terrence “Bud” Crawford has moved up in weight in search of bigger fights with bigger named foes.

Boxing’s Biggest Star

Crawford was boxing’s biggest star in 2014 after three impressive victories that earned him the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America 2014 Fighter of the Year as well as other Boxer of the Year awards. He started out his star making year by invading Glasgow and taking the WBO lightweight belt away from Ricky Burns’ waist. He then proceeded to defend it against former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa on June 28th, 2014 before his hometown fans in Omaha Nebraska. Crawford knocked out the previously unbeaten Gamboa  in the 9th round to keep his belt and earn superstar status.  He then ended his spectacular year by returning to the Century Link Center in Omaha, Nebraska with a one-sided unanimous decision win over Raymundo Beltran last November 29, 2014.

No Big Fights

With his status and popularity fast growing, Crawford and his team believed that the only way to maximize his new found star potential would be to move up in weight and chase the bigger guys for the bigger prizes. With that in mind, Crawford will start his 2015 campaign as a light welterweight as he faces Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme for a vacant world title on April 18th at the College Park Center on the campus of the University of Texas Arlington in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The fight, which will be viewed via HBO, will feature a split-site card that will air the highly anticipated showdown between hard hitting sluggers Ruslan Provodnikov and Lucas Matthysse who incidentally are also fighting at 140lbs. That fight will be telecast from its venue at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Against a Naturally Bigger Foe

While Crawford has fought before as a junior welterweight, his opponent is  “tweener” according to his promoter Gary Shaw. Dulorme has fought back and forth as a welterweight and junior welterweight. The 25-year old Puerto Rican has won six fights in a row since being stopped by Luis Carlos Abregu in 2012. His best wins have come in his last two bouts when he dealt Karim Mayfield his first loss last March of 2014  and when he outpointed contender Hank Lundy last December. Dulorme trained under Robert Garcia for those two bouts but has since parted ways with the famed trainer.

Will Size Matter?

Crawford admits the size difference but believes that size won’t matter just as it didn’t when Crawford faced Breidis Prescott. Bud believes he will even be better on fight night because of the size difference. Dulorme on the other hand, acknowledges his opponent’s skill and calls him a throwback fighter with the hands of stone. But he says he is ready to step up and upset Crawford.