Category: Uncategorized

When you think about Fight of the Year candidates so far this year, you think of April’s epic battle between Lucas Matthysse and John Molina Jr. Going back to last year, it was no doubt Ruslan Provodnikov v. Timothy Bradley and also memorable matchups such as Abner Mares v. Jhonny Gonzalez, Marcos Maidana v. Josesito Lopez, Erislandy Lara v. Alfredo Angulo, and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. v. Brian Vera 1. Lastly, going back one more year to 2012, the FOY was arguably Brandon Rios v. Mike Alvarado 1.  So, where did all of these memorable battles take place, Las Vegas? Atlantic City? Barkley Center in Brooklyn?  The up and coming Macau? If you answered yes to any of those venues, you would be wrong. They actually all took place at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, California better known as the StubHub Center or to you nostalgic types, the Home Depot Center.

This Saturday night, a new chapter will be written as Showtime’s Tripleheader is loaded with fantastic matchups and intriguing story lines. Any one of the following fights has the potential to steal the show and contribute to the legendary history of this venue, Gary Russell Jr. v. Vasyl Lomachenko , Robert Guerrero v. Yoshihiro Kamegai   Devon Alexander vs. Jesus Soto Karass

Russell, 26, 24-0 (14KO) has all the talent in the world and we are finally getting to see him against an opponent that will bring out the best in him in Lomachenko, 26, 1-1 (1KO). Lomachenko while not as experienced as Russell in the professional ranks, is a 2X Olympic Gold Medalist with an extensive amateur background compiling a 396-1 record, some say the best amateur ever. He attempted to make history in his last fight, only his second as a pro, when he challenged Orlando Salido for the vacant WBO Featherweight Title but lost a controversial split decision. This fight will be a chess match pitting two southpaws against each other, both can box, have speed, and can surprise with power. This fight is not to be missed. Enjoy, Christmas has come early.

Guerrero 31, 31-2-1 (18KO) is the first fighter that I can remember that is touting the extreme training of CrossFit in preparing him for battle. Guerrero will be entering the ring after a year layoff, his last fight being a unanimous decision loss to Pound for Pound King Floyd Mayweather. Guerrero had been on quite a roll prior to that fight, unbeaten for 7 years. It will be interesting to see if there is any ring rust here, one thing’s for sure, he will be in tip top shape. You wouldn’t confuse Kamegai’s (31, 24-1-1 (21KO), opponents with a who’s who of boxing but he does come in with an 80% knockout rate so it’s apparent that he comes to bang. When he’s not boxing, Guerrero likes to move forward and make it a rough and tough affair so the leather is sure to fly in this one, don’t blink.

In a true crossroads fight, Alexander and Soto Karass will do battle. Alexander 27 25-2 (14KO), is slick, fast, and possesses excellent all around boxing skills with underrated power. He owns wins over the likes of Matthysse and Maidana but has suffered losses to Bradley and Shawn Porter. We need a little more consistency from Alexander; he needs a big win here to put himself in position to fight for a title and possibly become a belt holder again. Alexander better come prepared as Soto Karass, 31 28-9-3 (18KO), is as tough as they come. He flat out comes to fight and has been in some big wars with the likes of Maidana, Keith Thurman, and Andre Berto. Soto Karass will move forward and rarely takes a step back. Soto Karass could also move towards some big paydays with an impressive performance. Both fighters are coming off losses and need this fight to ignite a little momentum in their careers. This fight has some interesting dynamics as you have the classic boxing southpaw in Alexander against the gritty tough as nails orthodox fighter in Soto Karass so both will have to adjust throughout the fight to exploit the others weakness.

Whatever happens on Saturday night, ones thing’s for sure, the StubHub Center will be rocking.  Don’t be surprised if one of the three fights, if not all; find themselves on the list for Fight of the Year in 2014.   

Very few individuals outside of Chris Algieri‘s hometown of Huntington & Long Island gave him a snowballs’ chance in H-E- Double Hockey Sticks in defeating Ruslan Provodnikov. On Saturday night, he did just that in earning a split decision victory and taking Provodnikov’s belt. Yes, the Siberian Rocky is a beast but we know now that Algieri, an undefeated kick boxer prior to starting his career in the sweet science is as well.

This kid can flat out box. Despite being knocked down in the first round from a wicked left hook and then again later in the round, and having his eye swell immediately and get progressively worse throughout the fight, Algieri showed the poise and ring generalship of  a fighter well beyond his years and experience. Using excellent movement and showcasing blinding speed, he peppered Provodnikov with solid jabs, sneaky uppercuts and power shots while adding timely body shots and keeping Provodnikov off balance.

Provodnikov did do as expected and what he does best, come forward, stalk his opponent, land power shots, and look for the knockout but his combination punching was limited, mostly due to Algieri’s movement. Algieri was expecting this blueprint as he stated before the fight “I think with Ruslan, you know what you are going to get, he’s going to come forward and throw bombs. That’s what he does. I am expecting that” Algieri’s trainer Keith Trimble added “We won’t do anything different,” “Chris is going to be Chris. We know the other guy is tough. But Chris has unbelievable cardio. Chris can box for days”

Provodnikov did some good work in this fight; he landed wicked body shots at times while connecting on left hooks and right crosses but Algieri was able to counter effectively and make Ruslan reset over and over. Provodnikov who falls to 23-3 said before the fight “If I have to die in the ring to win, that is what I will do, is Algieri willing to do the same? He had better or he will not defeat me.”

When asked by HBO’s Max Kellerman about being on the deck with his eye closing and wondering what is going through his mind, Algieri stated  “This has been a surreal week for me, me and my trainer almost got into a car accident earlier in the week, someone actually drove us off the road, and it was funny, my heart rate didn’t even go up” I felt like that walking in here today and in that moment when I was on the deck, my heart rate didn’t even go up” I think Provodnikov got his answer.

Algieri landed 83 more punches and threw 217 more while landing at a higher connect percentage.  Interesting to note is that Algieri beat Provodnikov at his own game landing 13 more power shots and at a higher connect percentage mostly dismissing Provodnikov’s theory as he stated after the fight that Algieri was a “runner”.

Algieri, a relatively unknown to the casual fight fan prior to this fight will no doubt see his Twitter followers jump at a record pace after this performance. He raises his record to 20-0 (8KO). This kid will be a handful for any opponent. He has the physical skills to give either boxer or puncher a problem. All I know is I can’t wait to see the new champ again.

1)      Honoring Great Warriors

This year’s Boxing Hall Of Fame class included inductees Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, and Joe Calzaghe. That’s a combined record of 127-9 with 97KO’s folks.

 

2)      History Is Made

Miguel Cotto became the first Puerto Rican to capture a fourth world title in as many weight classes. He did it in spectacular fashion. This win will open up a few big fights going forward for Cotto, most notably, a rumored fight with Canelo Alvarez  

 

3)      What History Should Have Taught Us, Or Me At Least

We should have seen it coming, the loss by Martinez. All the signs were there looking back into his past several fights. In his last fight against Martin Murray, Martinez struggled for most of the fight before being knocked down in the 8^th and coming on late to earn a close unanimous decision, in his beloved Argentina no less. Prior to that, in the fight against Julio Chavez Jr., he dominated Chavez for 11 rounds and Chavez still had enough to floor Martinez in the 12^th and almost take him out. Lastly, going three fights back, Martinez beat Matthew Macklin after Macklin’s corner stopped the fight; however, Martinez was again floored in this fight. So, going into the Cotto fight, he had been down in three straight fights, had a series of injuries and surgeries, and was starting to show his age. I will eat some crow here; I had originally thought Cotto may present problems for Martinez when the fight was announced but changed my prediction to a Martinez KO assuming he was healthy and used his 6” reach to control the fight. My premonition was far from the actual outcome; make no excuses regarding the health of Martinez, because he sure didn’t.   

 

4)      The Siberian Rocky Returns

Ruslan Provodnikov returns to the ring on Saturday night to face Chris Algieri. Ruslan flat out brings it in every fight, is a crowd pleasing brawler and is as close to a throwback fighter as there is today. On paper, this fight is a flat out mismatch. Only time will tell.

 

5)      In the Comes As No Surprise Department….

Floyd Mayweather Jr. tops Forbes Magazine’s list of highest paid athletes. Three other pugilists made the list, Manny Pacquiao at 11, Wladmir Klitschko 25^th, and Canelo Alvarez at 66.

 

This evening from 4 Pennsylvania Plaza in New York City, Sergio Martinez will put his WBC Middleweight Title on the line against 3 Division, 4X World Champion Miguel Cotto in the “The World’s Most Famous Arena”.  This is quite a compelling matchup considering where both fighters are at this point in their careers so, one has to wonder…. who needs this fight more? The intent of this article is not to provide a breakdown of the fight or make a prediction but more so to analyze and compare a few key areas between the two in a quest to find our answer.

 

Opponents

The combined record of Martinez’s last seven opponents at the time of their fights is a staggering 234-5 and he has not lost since 2009 but his resume is not comparable to Cotto’s. When you compare the likes of Murray, Chavez Jr., Macklin, Barker, Dzinziruk, Williams, and Pavlik, to Mayweather, Pacquiao, Mosley, Judah, Trout, Margarito, and Malignaggi, it’s obvious which way the scales tip.

Edge- Cotto

Age-

Martinez is 39 and Cotto is 33.

Edge-Cotto

 

Health-

With a history of recent injuries and surgeries, Martinez is slowly starting to show his age. He says he is 100% healthy but until he makes it out of a fight injury free, it’s unclear if that’s the case.  Cotto has arguably taken more punishment over the course of his career than Martinez has so although six years Martinez’s junior those wars have no doubt taken their toll.

Edge- Cotto, by a slight margin.

 

Title Reign-

Martinez has won world titles at Light Middleweight and Middleweight and Cotto titles at Junior Welterweight, Welterweight, and Junior Middleweight. Martinez has never lost in a title fight and has defended for many years so, while Cotto has beaten quality fighters in some of his title fights, he has lost in his biggest.

Edge- Martinez

 

Future With A Win

With a win, Cotto would become the first Puerto Rican to win a championship in four different weight classes and would take another step towards Canastota.  Martinez would move from B Side to A Side in most matchups and would strengthen his legacy while maintaining his status as a pound for pound fighter.

Edge-Even

 

Future With A Loss

Martinez’s recent history of injuries and moments of vulnerability would be magnified with a loss to Cotto. Couple this with the fact that he no longer would be a title holder and would be closing in on 40 his future is limited. Cotto is moving up in weight and fighting a title holder who has not lost since 2009 so a loss here is not devastating. Cotto could move back down to his natural weight and find an abundance of big fights.

Edge-Cotto

 

Conclusion-

Sergio Martinez has been the top champion of his weight class for many years and the same cannot be said for Cotto; however, Cotto’s name surfaces first when both names are mentioned as potential hall of fame candidates. It’s not that Martinez hasn’t fought high level competition, but his opponents are not familiar to the casual fan whereas most of Cotto’s biggest fights have been with opponents with bigger names. Cotto has the advantage in 4 out of the 6 categories mentioned which means that a loss for him is less impactful than for Martinez. That said, Martinez needs this fight more at this point in his career than does Cotto.

 

 

Richard Schaefer known to be the brains behind the scenes at Golden Boy Promotions is stepping down as CEO of arguably one of the top two boxing promotional companies in the sport, Top Rank being the other. Rumors of a falling out between Schaefer and Golden Boy Founder/President Oscar De La Hoya have being surfacing for several months so today’s announcement while a major happening in the sport, is not entirely shocking.

Schaefer will still be linked to Golden Boy, stating, “I am proud to remain a shareholder, so I have a strong interest in the continued success of the company”  added Schaefer, “I am proud of what we have accomplished at Golden Boy, but I now look forward to new challenges”

Hmmmm, we will have to wait to see if by “new challenges” Schaefer was referring to combining forces with boxing advisor Al Haymon which has also been rumored for several months.  Haymon, who Sports Illustrated called one of the 50 most powerful people in sports (coming in at #42), is as big an influential player as there is in the sport. The combination of Schaefer and Haymon could send a shockwave through the sport not seen in some time.

Where does this leave Golden Boy Promotions? Good question. Maybe this will lead towards an end of the overused “cold war” but only time will tell.  One thing’s for sure, the sport is moving into a very interesting direction in the promotional arena which will most likely open up endless possibilities for dream match ups.

Lastly, if the aforementioned partnership between Schaefer and Haymon comes to fruition forget the “cold war” and get ready for WWIII.

1)      40 Is The New 30??

Juan Manuel Marquez is not BHop old but at 40 years of age looked like a young man in his dominance of Mike Alvarado. Marquez threw wicked body shots, countered like a boss, and landed what seemed to be blinding combinations. He knocked Alvarado down in 8^th round with a beautiful right, that, had it not been the end of the round, may have been the end for Alvarado at that time.

2)      A Quintuple Affair???

Soon after Marquez dominated Alvarado, talk of a fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao moved to the forefront. There are unanswered questions in that rivalry so this fight has to be made. Even after his legendary KO win, Marquez is after all only 1-2-1 against Pacquiao.  Driving him to move in this direction would be his opportunity to beat an old “friend” while making history in being the only Mexican fighter to have ever acquired titles in five weight classes. (Welterweight being the fifth in this scenario).

 

3)      Money Back In September

As expected, Floyd Mayweather announced that he will be back in the office on September 13^th. Since 2009, Floyd has fought either in May or September, on the weekend of Cinco de Mayo or Mexican Independence Day, respectively, so this was of no surprise. Interesting was the fact that the venue was not announced.

 

4)      Look up in the Montreal Sky, It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane…

Adonis Stevenson will put his WBC Light Heavyweight Belt on the line Saturday night against Andrzej Fonfara. If Stevenson is successful, a unification fight with the ageless Hopkins has been rumored; however, Sergey Kovalev could be an option if the legal mess of the so called “breach of contract” between Stevenson and Kovalev can be worked out. Stevenson would be wise to keep focused on Fonfara as he has won 15 straight, 12 by stoppage. This has “trap fight” written all over it.

 

5)      Top Rank…Keeping The Meal Ticket

Pacquiao inked a two year five fight extension with Top Rank this week which may severely compromise a mega fight with Mayweather. Cold War be dammed, I believe this fight will come to fruition in the next year.

 

6)      “A” side “B” side, can we hear a “C” side?

The HBO “Face Off” between Sergio Martinez and Miguel Cotto was more than just classic hype; it was in your face two way verbal judo that was conducted at the highest of professionalism. Martinez calling Cotto a diva…..Cotto explaining the “A” and “B” side of the sport in a “reality bites” moment for Martinez….Martinez not getting the context of the explanation…and the jaw dropping first (I believe) in the Face Off series when Max Kellerman was asked by Martinez who he (Kellerman) believed would win the fight. Must see TV.

 

7)      Will The Real Charlo Please Stand Up…

Exciting undefeated Jr. Middleweight contender Jermell Charlo (23-0), not to be confused with twin brother Jermall, will be back in action Saturday night on the undercard of Stevenson v. Fonfara against Charlie Ota (24-1-1). This will be Charlo’s first fight since his impressive unanimous decision win against the rugged brawler Gabriel Rosado.

 

8)      This Is My Graceland Sir..

On September 13^th in Las Vegas, boxing fans will be treated to the inaugural boxing expo/ convention, titled Box Fan Expo. The event, being held in the Convention Center, is shaping up to be epic with a growing list of confirmed attendees such as Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., and Aaron Pryor.

 

 

 

1)      Only In America

Seeing Don King back in the ring and once again the promoter of a heavyweight champion is a classic case of déjà vu.  Albeit, a disturbing one.  

2)      “He Can”  Be Suspended

The Can Man, aka. Adrien Broner was suspended by the WBC this week for the disparaging remarks he made last week after his fight on the Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana undercard.  The suspension will remain in effect until Broner makes a public apology which he kind of did this week?

3)      A Fight Of Firsts

Last Saturday night’s big heavyweight rematch between Bermane Stiverne and Chris Arreola was going to produce a first in the heavyweight division no matter the outcome. As it turns out, Stiverne’s TKO made him the first Haitian born heavyweight in history stopping Arreola’s bid to become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. Arreola will be sick to his stomach when he reviews the fight tapes. He was controlling the fight but again fell victim to a porous defense.

4)      Finally, Possible Excitement At The Top

Bermane Stiverne’s WBC Title Belt win will likely set up a fight against Deontay Wilder. There was a clamoring that Wladimir Klitschko might get a fight with Stiverne to try and unify the titles but the fight should rightly be The Bronze Bomber’s.  Klitschko could have fought any one of the up and coming heavies the last few years but chose not to do so, just because he wants to get big brothers belt back…tough, get in line “champ”.

One thing’s for sure, much needed energy for the division is on the way.

5)      Can Dynamite Explode at 5280 Feet?

When Juan Manuel “El Dinamita” Marquez and “Mile High “Mike Alvarado go to work on Saturday night…..expect a WAR. Even at 40 years old, Marquez is still a threat and is listed on Standing-8’s Pound for Pound list.  Alvarado, 33, is coming off a loss to Ruslan Provodnikov but has a legitimate chance of taking this one.  If I had to lean one way, I would go Alvarado. If he fights tall and uses his 2” height and reach advantage and boxes more than brawls he could revive his career.

6)      A Ghost Sighting On One Heck Of A Card

Robert Guerrero is finally going to be back in the office. On June 21, Guerrero will be fighting the hard hitting Yoshihiro Kamegai. This will be Guerrero’s first fight in a year since losing to Floyd Mayweather in May of 2013. This card will be an outstanding one as it will feature Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Gary Russell Jr. in the main event and an additional undercard matchup between Devon Alexander vs. Jesus Soto Karass.

7)      Even The Greatest Wants To See It

Following Mayweather’s win over Maidana, Muhammad Ali tweeted, “Congratulations @FloydMayweather, Maybe after you rest up we can see you rumble with @MannyPacquiao”

I agree champ, even though I believe Mayweather wins this fight…it has to happen for the love of the game.

8). Destroy All Trolls

Ok, I’m all for a racist who threatens another man’s family, especially his daughter, getting a beat down but when you are a top contender for the heavyweight title, you need to make better decisions. Had Wilder gotten hurt chasing that troll around and beating him to a pulp, his career could have suffered a setback.  

1) Not A Typical Big Top

That was quite an entrance for Floyd Mayweather during “The Moment”. The crowd had a moment of confusion wondering if they had accidentally wandered into the wrong theatre in the MGM and ended up in Cirque Du Soleil KA.  Flamboyant and theatrical entrances are nothing new in boxing but outside of the occasional rapper escorting him to the ring apron, this was a bit out of character for Mayweather.

2) “Let’s Show A Little Class And Dignity”

It was refreshing to see Jim Gray check Adrien Broner on his rant after his fight. We need more interviewers to step in when the idiocy of the interviewee disrespects the interview. “The Problem”, Broner’s alias, is sadly not due to his exploits in the ring but more so out of it.  Broner didn’t look overly impressive in his return fight against Carlos Molina but did what he had to do to win. Yes, the antics were back such as showing the bolo punch several times, throwing Molina purposely to the canvas, acting like he was hurt, talking to his opponent, you know, the usual Broner stuff but I guess that’s what drives him.

3) Well, At Least He’s Consistent

Luis Collazo once again lost by decision in a career defining fight. One could argue that this would be the fourth time. See Hatton, Mosley, and Berto fights.  Collazo never quite got going and it was evident early on that Amir Khan’s speed was going to be the difference. Give Collazo credit, although outmatched and hitting the canvas several times, he showed incredible toughness in going the distance. After the high of beating Victor Ortiz, the low of this loss to Khan will sting for a while.

4) Maybe The Gloves Were A Cipher

Ok, unless you’ve been living in a cave, you heard of the brouhaha over the gloves in this weekend’s main event as the Mayweather Camp objected to the preferred gloves of the Maidana Camp due to the apparent lack of padding.“Glove Gate” ended up getting resolved but reared its ugly head in the post fight press conference. Crack the May-Vinci code they say, maybe gloves are a cipher?

5) “Ain’t Gonna Be No Rematch”…”Don’t Want One”…

The famous words uttered by both Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa at the end of 15 grueling rounds in the classic film Rocky. We all know that they did end up fighting again because it was Hollywood after all but switching to the real world, I wish that those words were a case of life imitating art last night. Since Maidana was the first opponent to give Mayweather his first competitive fight in several years, the cries for a rematch were almost immediate as the judges’ score cards were revealed.  No rematch is needed here. Yes, Maidana was very competitive, but the rematch would be similar with a more convincing win by Mayweather. Mayweather would study the tape, make slight adjustments and win a lopsided decision. Mayweather is closing in on the end of his legendary career so I would rather see him fight a new opponent rather than one he has already beat.

6) The Case For Same Day Weigh-Ins

So, Maidana gains 17 pounds after the weigh-in and is fighting for the 147 pound championship? Must not have been a rehydration clause in the contract.  A few pounds ok, but 17? ENOUGH!! It’s time to bring back same day weigh-ins.

7) Faces In The Crowd

As I watched the PPV telecast, I couldn’t help but notice the stunned looks on the faces on the attendees at ringside. I cannot remember the last time I saw a Mayweather fight where the audience seemed so stunned.

8) Protect Yourself At All Times

Apparently after the Mayweather Maidana fight, there was a brawl in the crowd which left hundreds of people running for the exits. The chaos caused several people to get inured enough to have to be treated at a local hospital.  Rumors of alleged gunfire were not verified and not believed to have been true.

To understand where Luis Collazo (35-5 18 KO’s) is going Saturday night, you have to understand where Luis Collazo has been. Think Jay-Z’s version of a “Hard Knock Life”. At an early age, Collazo’s parents divorced which left the family in turmoil. Collazo ended up finding solace in the streets of Brooklyn. As Collazo recalls “My dad was drunk all the time, my older brother was in the drug game, and he was someone I looked up to. So I followed him into it. He was my role model”  “I didn’t really have much growing up. I was selling drugs at nine, smoking marijuana at ten. I was headed nowhere, with no future ahead of me” “Without boxing, I would have gone to prison, no question,”

Collazo’s father sorted out his own life and reunited with his son. It was at this time that Luis started to learn the sweet science. As an amateur, he compiled a 97-7 record. To begin his pro career, Collazo won his first 14 fights and then in fight #15 he was KO’d the only time in his career. After the loss, he won several more fights before fighting for the WBA Welterweight Title which he won with a split decision over Jose Antonio Rivera. He had one title defense before facing Ricky Hatton. Although close, Hatton was awarded a unanimous decision. Several months later he faced Shane Mosley for the WBC Welterweight Title. Again, Collazo lost a decision.

Flash forward to 2009.  Collazo again is provided an opportunity for the WBC Title, this time against Andre Berto. If you are following the script here, you know what happens next….correct, Collazo losses by unanimous decision. Following this fight, Collazo battled depression and was at a crossroads in his life. Blessed with a daughter and loving wife, Collazo found religion which changed his life.  As Collazo stated recently, “Now that I am living a spiritual life, I’m a different person. Yes I’m older, but spiritually I feel like I’m 22. We are supposed to go through trials and tribulations. That is what shapes our personality.”  Since the Berto fight, Collazo has won his last four and 6 out of his last 7.

He comes into this fight riding the momentum of a 2^nd round KO over Victor Ortiz this past January. What can we really make of the KO win against Ortiz? Ortiz was, after all, coming off a loss in which he broke his jaw, had not fought in just over a year and a half, was KO’d by Floyd Mayweather in the fight before that, and although he looked decent against Andre Berto and won a unanimous decision, he was knocked down twice in that fight. While Collazo’s KO was a beautiful text book short right hook, it was Ortiz, a fighter whose recent history had shown signs of decline and a questionable mindset.

Saturday night’s opponent is Amir “King” Khan (28-3 19 KO’s), a fighter who is at a crossroads in his own right. Khan has extra motivation for this fight as he had thought he would be the one facing Mayweather on this card only to see Mayweather sign to fight Marcos Maidana. Collazo is well aware of this as he stated “At this point in my career it [the talk] doesn’t matter. I’m just grateful to be in this situation right now. They can keep talking about Amir Khan and Floyd Mayweather. That doesn’t matter to me,” “I know on May 3 when that bell rings it’s just me and Amir. And whatever plans he has with Floyd or whatever he’s planning, he has to answer to me first.”

This will be Khan’s first fight at 147; said Khan “I was killing myself making the weight, so here we are now. People say that I’m looking past Luis Collazo and looking at a Mayweather fight or other opponents but I’m not looking past this fight because this is a big fight for me. But if I lose this fight, I can forget about the $12 million. So I have to win this fight against Luis Collazo. Luis brings a lot to the table.”  Collazo well aware of Khan’s move up to his division countered “I’ve got to break him down first because you can’t be like a kangaroo running all over the place. Amir Khan has never fought at 147 pounds but, hey, I’m going to welcome him into the division.”

The question is which Khan will show up? Will we get the Khan with fast hands and slick movement as he did in the first few rounds with Danny Garcia or the Khan who wants to bang a bit more as he did in the next few rounds against Garcia which led to his demise.  A fighter who believes Khan can win an easy fight is the aforementioned Hatton, said Hatton, who called Collazo “one of my toughest fights”. “Amir can get a hands-down ­decision and look a million dollars against Collazo, who is made for him” “Collazo wasn’t the most difficult to hit and I remember him being flat-footed. But Amir’s got to be disciplined in this performance. Just like when he won the world title against Andreas Kotelnik with his boxing skills. If he does that, it’s a comfortable fight. If he doesn’t, and starts getting involved in a battle, I think he’ll come second.”

There is not a physical advantage for either fighter as they are just about identical in both height and reach; however, making for an interesting subplot is the fact that Collazo is a southpaw and Khan an orthodox fighter.

Collazo understands what he must do as he stated recently “This fight is my whole career, right in front of me, I believe if I beat Amir Khan, I have a bigger future in boxing and if I don’t I have to start from the bottom again”  “I’m humbled by all this. How people counted me out, even before the Victor Ortiz fight. But that’s okay. I’ve always been underrated, my whole career. I’ve become accustomed to it.”

Luis Collazo has had big fights before and has come out on the short end of the decision. He once again is provided with a golden opportunity, this time, on the biggest showcase in boxing, a Mayweather Pay Per View card. The time is now for Collazo. If he can finally get the career defining win that has eluded him, he will upset the King Khan plan and possibly line himself up for the Holy Grail of matchups, a fight with Mayweather. One thing’s for sure, for the first time in his career, Collazo is in a good place in his life both mentally and spiritually as he enters into a big fight and that alone may be all he needs.