Paul Williams

Legendary pugilist Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao thoroughly dominated Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito to earn a lopsided unanimous decision and capture the vacant WBC super welterweight world title Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Despite sacrificing 17 pounds and nearly five inches in height, Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) violently thrashed Margarito (38-7-0-1, 27 KOs) and broke the Mexican cheater’s right eye socket.

Margarito is scheduled to have surgery Tuesday in “The Lone Star State.”

“I can’t believe that I beat someone this big and strong,” said Pacquiao, 31, the first boxer in history to win 10 world titles in eight different weight divisions. “It’s hard. I really do my best to win the fight.”

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, contended the 36-minute massacre should have been halted far earlier in the bout.

“We didn’t lose a round,” said Roach, 50, a native of Dedham. “I wish they would have stopped the fight.”

Pacquiao’s greatness has never been questioned and it never will be.

However, “Pac-Man’s” virtuoso performance this past weekend was so brilliant it is hard to fathom anyone can even compete with him in the squared circle at this juncture.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs) possesses the skills to trump Pacquiao. Unfortunately, “Pretty Boy” has proven he is a yellow charlatan who doesn’t have the stones to battle Pacquiao.

Therefore, Mayweather is out of the equation as a viable opponent for Pacquiao.

The only other current prizefighter who could potentially thwart Pacquiao is former two-time WBO welterweight titlist Paul “The Punisher” Williams.

Williams (39-1, 27 KOs) is slated to scrap with Sergio Gabriel Martinez for the WBC middleweight crown Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“The Punisher,” a southpaw who is rightfully billed as the “most avoided fighter in the world,” defeated Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs) by a controversial majority decision last December.

Martinez, who also dabbled professionally as a cyclist and soccer player and only began boxing at the late age of 20, captured his belt April 17 when he overcame Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs) by a unanimous decision.

The rematch between Williams and Martinez will be fought at a catch weight of 157 pounds.

“It’s at 157 because we didn’t have a choice,” said Martinez’s promoter Lou DiBella, a graduate of Tufts University and Harvard Law School. “Williams wanted the catch weight. There was an issue on the weight and we gave on the weight.”

Williams, who is rated by Ring Magazine as the No. 5 pound-for-pound pugilist in the world, is extremely tall and lanky and his awkward style has created nightmares for opponents.

“The Punisher” suffered his only loss as a professional to “El Indio” Carlos Quintana (27-3, 21 KOs) via unanimous decision in February 2008.

However, Williams proved Quintana’s victory was an utter fluke when he demolished “El Indio” four months later by a first round TKO.

Martinez possesses blinding quickness and his punching volume is remarkably aggressive.

Fans of the sweet science will be granted a tremendous contest this weekend between two elite prizefighters.

Nevertheless, expect Williams to “punish” the talented Martinez and win by a decisive triumph within 10 rounds.

Subsequently, if he is ever afforded the opportunity, look for Williams to possibly hand Pacquiao his first defeat since he lost a unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March 2005. 

The “most avoided fighter in the world” has the abilities to beat the greatest boxer of this generation.

Now that Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito is over, the boxing world can look towards possibly the best fight we will see in all of 2010.

Atlantic City will be the host of what is sure to be another classic fight in the Martinez vs. Williams saga. Their first fight was one of the best we have seen all year, and the next one promises not to disappoint.

Paul Williams is one of the most exciting fighters in boxing today, bringing in a one-of-a-kind style. Paul is a 6'2" volume puncher with a relentless pace that is usually only found in the lower weight classes. Paul rips off combinations and counter-punches for entire rounds, with what is so far a seemingly endless gas tank.

Sergio Martinez is one of the most marketable fighters in boxing today, and also one of the most avoided. Sergio is a very skilled and entertaining counter-puncher, and is the current middleweight lineal champion. Any time he steps into the ring, he makes it a tough night for his opponent.

Their first fight was a very entertaining, highly disputed majority decision victory for Paul Williams. The fight was entertaining from the opening bell, with the fighters trading knockdowns in the first round.

Since their last fight, Sergio Martinez beat Kelly Pavlik in a contest where he looked very impressive. Paul Williams won a bizarre victory over Kermit Cintron in which Cintron fell out of the ring and was unable to continue.

The fight was taken on short notice last time, but this time both fighters will be more prepared.

If Martinez is going to win the second matchup, he will have to make Paul Williams miss. He will have to stay on the outside, and pick his shots wisely. He will need to use the entire ring, and stay out of Williams' range. If he can make Williams miss on the jab, he will be in a good position to capitalize with his signature counter-punching ability.

If Williams wants to win again, he will have to do his best to wear Martinez out—if that's possible. He will have to throw a high volume of punches, as he is accustomed to, which always looks good in the judges' eyes. If he can make his jab land consistently then he will undoubtedly land the victory. He needs to throw combinations often, and do his best to crack the elusive defense of Martinez.

One thing is certain in this fight: Nobody will be disappointed watching it. Stylistically, we are headed for another grueling slugfest. There will be nonstop action in this fight, as two of the most entertaining fighters in the world square off again.

I personally think that Williams will be able to beat Martinez again. I just don't think that Sergio will be able to knock out Williams. When the fight goes to a decision, Williams always has a huge advantage. He throws so many more punches than his opponents that the judges' cards always seem to end up tainted. Judges seemingly look at punches thrown and work rate more than effective punching these days.

Looking ahead of this fight, the winner could potentially land himself a contest with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. Martinez has the better chance though, simply because of Williams' height. I personally would love to see that fight should a contest with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fall through; which it likely will again.

Williams would also make for a good challenge for Pacquiao, but it is unlikely that Pacquiao will take a fight with a guy who has that much of a height advantage. If Pacquiao was willing to step up to that challenge, it would surely make for another great contest.

One thing is for certain: November 20 will be a great night for the sport of boxing. Be sure not to miss what will surely be one of boxing's best fights in recent years.

The highly-anticipated rematch between Paul "The Punisher" Williams and new Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez takes place on November 20 at Caesar's Atlantic City.  A prefight conference call took place Thursday, October 28 and was hosted by Dan Goossen of Goossen-Tutor promotions, who promote Paul Williams.


Highlights from the call:

Introduction (Dan Goossen)

Dan Goossen opened up by stating how important this fight is for boxing, and how it might be the biggest fight this year, even more important than Pacquiao-Margarito.

According to Goossen, HBO's Mark Taffet wanted to name this fight "True Blood," but since they obviously couldn't get the naming rights to that, they are calling the fight "Blood and Guts", Martinez vs. Williams II.


Comments from Paul Williams, trainer George Peterson, and Dan Goossen

Paul Williams and his team were on the call first.  Williams said that his training is going well.  He said that he doesn't feel that the close result of the first fight gives him increased urgency to knock out Martinez, but that he plans to "put a real beating on this time.  If the knockout comes, it comes."

Williams then said that he is also going to "be real cautious."  When asked to clarify, he said he wanted to be cautious not to hurt Martinez too bad.  The fight, to him, is "nothing personal, just business."

According to Michael Woods, Bob Arum recently suggested that there is a potential fight between Pacquiao and the winner of this match.  Williams didn't disagree that the future matchup could be a motivating factor, but stressed that he is focused on the November 20 bout with Martinez.

There were several questions about how Williams and Martinez only had three weeks to prepare for their last fight, and how the longer preparation would benefit Williams. 

Williams' trainer George Peterson said that Martinez was running in the first fight, and Paul Williams agreed that there would be more punches thrown. However, Williams emphasized that the first fight wasn't "that difficult," and that he just took a few rounds to adjust to the style of Martinez.

The fight is going to be fought at a catchweight of 158 lbs.  According to a press release sent out just prior to the conference, Williams weighed 162 and Martinez 176.  Neither fighter said that the weight would be an issue.

Williams' camp explained Williams' low weight by pointing out that Williams was trying to book his next fight at 147 against Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and so he was closer to that weight class. 

Regarding the reasoning behind having the fight at 158 rather than 160, Williams' trainer said, "I just can't understand the difference in two pounds"  Martinez later said that it was a concession he had to make in order to get Williams to agree to fight him.

Peterson said that, since Paul won the first fight, Martinez should be grateful to be getting a rematch.

When asked if he felt slighted when Kelly Pavlik decided to defend his middleweight title against Martinez instead of him, Williams said that he did feel that Martinez "stole the belts that are supposed to be mine."

When asked about fighters being protected by their promoters by booking matches against lower-caliber, "in-house" opposition, Williams and his team stated that it's up to the fighter to stand up to their promoter and say that they want the big fights. 

They also said that in order to make that happen, fighters must be flexible and not just fight in one weight division.  They frequently cited Pacquiao as an example of someone who should stand up and say that he wants the biggest fights.  The promoters, they said, were just being smart businessmen when they protected their fighters in this way.

There were several questions alluding to the similarities between Martinez and Carlos Quintana, who handed Williams his only career loss in a fight that "The Punisher" later avenged.  Reporters suggested that Martinez's movement was tricky for Williams to deal with, but Williams said he wants to end this fight quickly, like he did in his rematch against Quintana.

Regarding being knocked down in the first fight, Williams said that he wasn't hurt, but just got caught by a punch he wasn't expecting, and wasn't bothered by Martinez's power.

Paul Williams said his training has focused primarily on fighting a left-handed fighter, and they have paid attention to what Martinez did last fight, and what adjustments he might make this fight.  The bottom line, he said, is that he doesn't care what approach Martinez comes in with.


Notes from Goossen

Before Martinez went on the call, Goossen said that tickets are going very well, which reflects the interest of the fans, and how good the fight is for Atlantic City.

He also mentioned that the final press conference will be at Caesar's Atlantic City on Wednesday, November 17 at 12:30 pm.  Finally, he reinforced that this matchup will be a good fight, and that even though Sergio is a good fighter, Paul is one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound, and could be launched to the top of the Pound-for-Pound rankings after this fight.


Comments from Sergio Martinez, trainer Gabriel Sarmiento, and translator Cecilio Flores

Robert Morales of LA Daily News asked Martinez about a recent conversation Morales had with Goossen.  Goossen had said that because Paul has a full training camp for this fight, he could knock out Martinez in six or seven rounds.

When asked (through interpreter Cecilio Flores) his thoughts on this, Sergio Martinez said that Williams' camp is afraid and fearful, which is why they are making excuses.

Regarding why they are fighting at a 158-pound catchweight, rather than the 160-lb weight most middleweight fights happen at, Martinez said that it was a concession he had to make in order for Williams to sign the contract.

Martinez said that he has never had a weight problem in his career, and that after the morning's training, he weighed 169, down seven pounds from the previously-released press report.

Lem Satterfield said that Martinez had noted from ringside that Williams looked like a different fighter in his most recent fight against Kermit Cintron.  Martinez said that he did indeed notice that, but said he didn't want to claim that it was because of Williams' tough fight against Martinez.  He also stated that he and Kermit Cintron (who share a promoter) did not share notes on Williams prior to Cintron's fight against Paul Williams.

When asked about how this fight will be different from the last, Martinez said (as interpreted by Flores) "[Martinez is] going to hurt him worse than he did in the first fight."  They then dismissed further weight questions, saying it was Williams' camp who kept bringing up that issue.

Martinez's camp confirmed there is no clause limiting the amount of rehydration that can be done between weigh-in and the fight.  They remarked that maybe Paul Williams might want to go back and renegotiate that if he's still looking for ways out of the contract.

When asked if they were preparing for what Williams did in his rematch with Carlos Quintana, where he came out early looking for a KO, Martinez's camp said they weren't worried about what strategy Williams comes out with.

According to Martinez, Williams is a great fighter, but he is also a great talker, and is making excuses.

Martinez is working on several different game plans, but most important is that he doesn't let the decision go to the scorecards.

Martinez admitted that he was short one big punch in their first matchup, but is coming in to prove "I'm the better fighter, I'm the smart fighter and the more improved fighter" and to show the world he will stay champion.


Final Comments from Dan Goossen

Regarding the possibility of a trilogy, Goossen said it had been discussed, but made no mention of anything being formalized yet.  He did say, however, that he expected a great second fight, and if the need arose for a rubber match, that it may happen if it was a fight the fans wanted to see.

The most important man in boxing has a charming million dollar smile, stands less than six feet tall, and is small for his weight division. He is renowned for his quick fists and skilled boxing ability; he recently moved up in weight to win a title in another weight class; and he is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Manny Pacquiao? No.  Floyd Mayweather, Jr.?  Wrong again.

He is Sergio Martinez, the 5'10" middleweight champion from Argentina who has a November 20th rematch with Paul "The Punisher" Williams in boxing's most significant bout this year.

If you're a casual boxing observer or even a die-hard fan, this may be hard to believe.  Following the press coverage and online boxing forums, it may seem like the only boxers in the world today are Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and whoever their next opponents are.

There is no question that those two are the two most famous, and arguably two most talented, boxers in the world today, and a bout between them would be the biggest boxing match in over 20 years. 

But how long have we been talking about that match for?  At least since Pacquiao defeated Oscar De La Hoya two years ago.  And is it any closer to taking place?  By all appearances, no.

Why The Mayweather-Pacquiao Model is Failing Boxing and its Fans

So at this point, we as boxing fans must accept the futility of hoping for a Mayweather-Pacquiao matchup.  It could happen, no doubt, but nobody knows, and this idle speculation does nothing to bring the fight any closer.  If anything, it presents the illusion to Mayweather and Pacquiao's promoters that their fighters are the only ones that matter, which lets them milk their hype for all it is worth.

Yet a shrewd observer can see the "Team Mayweather vs. Team Pacquiao" model is not working.  Boxing's ratings are still down, and the matches simply aren't that entertaining. 

Think about it.  What was the last good Mayweather fight you saw?  Hatton, maybe, or you could go back even further to his May 2007 bout with De La Hoya.  How about Pacquiao?  His fight with Cotto was entertaining, but the damaged Puerto Rican didn't win more than two or three rounds.  So again, we probably go back to March 2008 and his second fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.

This means we're left with two fighters who consistently produce uninspiring bouts against token opposition.  No matter how many well-crafted HBO 24/7 specials there are, it's impossible to escape from the fact that, at best, we are watching the world's top two fighters take on our second- or third-choice opponents.

I don't care how dominant Pacquiao or Mayweather looks. People worldwide are losing interest, for one reason.

Good fights, not good fighters, make boxing worthwhile

Who do you think we'll remember better in 50 years: Joe Frazier or Roy Jones, Jr.?  Jones was a superior athlete and had a much longer winning streak. Yet the hard-fought Thrilla in Manila and Fight of The Century against Ali, and the "Down Goes Frazier!" calls against George Foreman, are far more enduring than Jones' dominant victories over Mike McCallum, Montell Griffin and Virgil Hill. 

Today is no different.  Boxing will be defined not by the rampant speculation, but by the fights that grab our attention.  Corrales vs. Castillo, Gatti vs. Ward, Vazquez vs. R. Marquez, J.M. Marquez vs Barrera: it's not the most-hyped or most one-sided fights that keep us glued to our seats, it's the all-out battles. 

It's the same as in any sport. During the first round of March Madness, we watch the 7-10, 6-11, and 5-12 matchups because these matches showcase fascinating drama rather than trite, predictable results. 

Sergio Martinez offers the most excitement in boxing today

This is why Sergio Martinez is probably the most important man in boxing today.

First off, he's an extraordinarily talented athlete.  He was a top-level soccer player and professional cyclist before he started boxing 15 years ago at age 20.  He is now ranked as the 6th best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Secondly, he's extraordinarily marketable.  He is probably the most handsome champion in boxing right now, and his rugged, gritty performances make him as appealing to male fans as he is to female fans, if not more so.  He is charming, likeable, and speaks well in English, with an accent like Antonio Banderas. 

Third, he has had excellent fights. This may be surprising for someone with less than a 50% career knockout percentage, but a Martinez fight is always a fight worth watching.  His last three fights - a unanimous decision win over Kelly Pavlik, a controversial majority decision loss in his first fight against Williams, and a controversial majority decision draw against Kermit Cintron.  1-1-1 may not seem like what you'd want from boxing's most important figure, but the quality of his opposition has been substantial, and he could have won all three fights.

Fourth, he continues to book fights against only the top opposition.  Paul Williams used to be "the most avoided fighter in boxing."  Then, after he narrowly defeated Martinez in their first outing, it was Williams who was doing the dodging - only signing to fight Martinez again after all other lucrative options had been exhausted.  He is fighting Williams again, and then no one knows what will happen after that, but we can be certain that it should be interesting.

He may not be boxing's next "top dog", but he will define who is

Martinez is 35 years old, smaller than Williams, and is only ranked # 6 P4P in the world, going up against Paul "The Punisher" Williams, who is ranked # 5, on November 20th.  There is a very real possibility (50-50 according to Las Vegas oddsmakers) that Martinez will lose to Williams again. 

But the winner of their fight is in all likelihood going to move up to number 3 or 4 pound for pound, leapfrogging Nonito Donaire and probably Juan Manuel Marquez (who hasn't had any huge wins lately).  The winner may even move up to number 2 if Mayweather remains inactive. 

So Martinez may not be the next great boxing star, but at this point in time, he is the most important person in terms of defining who that next star is. 

If he wins over Williams, then we can expect to see a lot more of Martinez, including a potential rubber match against Williams, a bout at a catchweight against Pacquiao, or even matches against some of the Super Six super middleweights.

If Williams wins over Martinez, then Williams indisputably becomes one of the world's marquee boxers who fans will no longer be able to ignore.  A second win over Martinez will bring Williams the fame that he has long deserved, and fans won't help but take notice.

Since both he and Williams can fight in three or four different weight classes, the opportunities are plentiful and the rewards substantial.  Until November 20th, no one will know what the future holds for these two fighters, and the middleweight division as a whole.

But as long as Pacquiao and Mayweather keep twiddling their thumbs, then much of boxing's future lies in the hands of a 5'10" Argentinian whose actions in the next few months will help define boxing's trajectory into 2011 and beyond.

This year was supposed to be one of the greatest years in boxing history. The year we got the first true mega-fight since the glory days of the '80s when mega-fights in boxing were as common as Triple Crowns were in horse racing during the 1970s.

But the Pacquiao-Mayweather mega-fight sports fans were craving was not to be. Instead we were handed a couple of stinkers in Pacquaio-Clottey and Mayweather-Mosley.

Those weren't the only snoozers, just the most hyped. 

I could go over the numerous bad fights that boxing fans have been forced to endure in 2010, but why make all of us suffer all over again. 

Fortunately for boxing, they've saved the best for last. At least I hope so.

November will feature two fights that should at the very least hold some suspense and at least one fight that could be one of the great ones of all time.

First up, is Antonio Margarito against Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13. 

I'm going to go on the record as stating that I do not think Margarito should be allowed to fight. I think as long as California won't license him, it's bogus that he's fighting in Texas.

BUT he will be the first true Welterweight that Manny has fought and that makes this one interesting. They are actually fighting at a catchweight of 151, but since Maragarito has fought almost exclusively at Welterweight since 2004, no one should be able to complain Antonio is at a disadvantage.  

Margarito hits like a mule, too. With or without loaded wraps.  

I think Manny is too fast for Margarito and will win the fight easily. But there is still the lingering proposition of how Pacquiao will react if Tony tags him with a big shot. 

That alone makes the fight interesting. 

Then comes the big one. Paul Williams-Sergio Martinez II. 

The first one was the best fight of 2009 in many people's opinion. And I think this one will be just as good.

Personally, I think Williams is the best fighter at Welter of Junior Middleweight. Despite his awkward southpaw style, or maybe because of it, he has the skill, speed and power to beat anyone in either division. 

But because his style is so ugly he never looks great. That makes him vulnerable whenever a fight goes to the cards.

But styles make fights and the tough Martinez has a style that gives Williams fits. If you saw the first fight you know what I mean.

That's why this one should be marked on any fight fans calender.

Two tough, skilled fighters who will not back down.

When the dust clears we'll know a lot about these two divisions. And as far as I'm concerned we'll know who are the best two boxers are as well.

If Williams and Pacquiao win like I think they will. I put them both above Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

I think a lot of other people will as well.  

The much anticipated rematch of Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams is finally locked and ready to fire on Saturday November 20th from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Many fight fans were anxiously waiting for these two fighters to rematch for their first fight was a fight of the year candidate in which Williams won a majority decision of two score cards of (119 to 110) and (115 to 113) and the third judge ruled it a draw (114 to 114).

Although the Punisher won the first fight many fight fans and media scored it a win for Martinez.

I personally scored the fight for Martinez although it was indeed a close fight. I felt Williams won the fight only for political business reasons.

According to a press release from Goossen Tutor Promotions the odds in Las Vegas show that Williams vs Martinez is a pretty dead even bet.

Meaning they both are set at about -$125 with even money coming in for betting on either fighter.

This ruins my plans for I was all set and ready to bet $1,000 on Martinez to defeat Williams if the betting odds were attractive enough to do so when I arrive in Las Vegas in three weeks. Obviously my bank account will not be $1,000 less for this fight is not worth betting on with these lame odds.

HBO expert judge made the following statement: 

"The last fight was a great fight and a really close fight.  November
20 could go either way.  Paul Williams could win it with his boxing and Sergio Martinez
could win it with his bog shots and I am expecting a real barnburner."

Dan Goossen:  "Pure 'Blood and Guts' when these two step inside the ropes and the
bell rings."

Paul Williams:  "I got to knock Martinez off of the throne, he's sittin' on the
throne.  He better be ready.  He better bring his AAA card, he's going to need some
towing up out of the ring.  That's not me being cocky, that's my level of confidence.
My fans and his fans are going to get a real good treat."

Sergio Martinez:  "The rematch is the best thing, not only for boxing fans but for
Paul and me.  Both of us need closure from our last fight.  We need to know that
the result is final this time."

Lou Dibella: "Boxing needs this fight, it needs these two guys to put on another
 good show."

Although I can no longer bet on this fight I still am more than excited that these guys will finally fight again. I feel Martinez has improved with each fight where as Williams may have already began to peak. It seems also mentally Martinez is now on top of the world with his huge win over Pavlik and now being the lineal middleweight champion all of the momentum seems to be on his side both mentally and physically and lets hope the business and politics of the sport will be aligned as well.

Goossen Tutor Promotions and DiBella Entertainment in association with Caesars Atlantic
City are presenting this evening of boxing Martinez vs. Williams II will be broadcast
on HBO's World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT.
Tickets, priced at $400, $200, $100 and $50, can be purchased this Friday, September
24 at the Boardwalk Hall box office, or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420
or online at ticketmaster.com

Follow King J on Twitter:      http://twitter.com/KingJ323         

The last quarter of 2010 proves that it is not going to be the down year for boxing that most people expected.  November, especially, will be one of boxing's best months in recent memory, featuring at least one top-quality fight every weekend.  Read on to see the best upcoming matches in boxing, including Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito, Sergio Martinez vs. Paul Williams II, Rafael Marquez vs. Juan Manuel Lopez (pictured) and a strong schedule to wrap up 2010.

The top remaining fights of the last quarter of 2010, and why you should watch them.

Note: Highly significant fights are denoted with an asterisk *.

October 3, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam vs. Suriyan Por Chokchai

Not a hugely competitive fight, but Pongsaklek is the best flyweight in the world and one of the top ten pound for pound.

October 15, Lucian Bute vs. Jesse Brinkley; Adrian Diaconu vs. Omar Sheika
From Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Lucian Bute is probably the top super middleweight in the world right now, and everyone assumes that the winner of the Super Six will be squaring off against him for divisional supremacy.  Jesse Brinkley is ranked #11 in the world, just beneath most of the Super Six competitors.  This fight has the potential to teach us a thing or two about Bute.  And it's not out of the question that Bute could get shocked in this.  He almost lost to Librado Andrade a year or two ago in a controversial non-stoppage by the referee.

Adrian Diaconu is a top Light Heavyweight contender but has been a bit inactive lately.  He has won 26 fights and lost two, both to Jean Pascal, who is king of the division.  Omar Sheika is a serviceable journeyman, but at least we'll get to see Diaconu in action.

October 16, Vitali Klitschko vs. Shannon Briggs

October 24, Jorge Linares vs. Jesus Chavez

Jorge Linares was projected to be a top pound for pound guy before his stunning first round loss to Juan Carlos Salgado in Japan last year.  It was Ring Magazine's Upset of the Year.  However, he has come back strong since then and will try to rebuild his career against Jesus Chavez - a decent fighter who has been on a losing streak lately.

October 30, Fernando Montiel (WBO Bantamweight champion) vs. ???; Alexander Povetkin (top 5 heavyweight) vs. ???; and a Women's Title Fight

I'm not expecting a world-class card since neither of these guys opponents has been chosen yet.  Still, Montiel is in Ring Magazine's #8 pound for pound fighter, and Povetkin is a top 5 heavyweight.  The fights could both end in early knockouts, or drag on a bit longer. In either case, we'll learn something about these guys and get to see two of the world's best fighters in action.  Unfortunately they're fighting on two different cards, so we might have to choose one or the other.  I'd suggest Montiel.  He's a potential fighter of the year, having his fourth fight of 2010.

Also of note is a Women's Bantamweight Championship match between Hagar Shmoulefeld Finer and Julia Sahin in Rama, Ontario, Canada.

November 6, Zab Judah vs. Lucas Matthysse

Zab Judah is the big name in this fight.  He has been making a resurgence with a new attitude and a renewed commitment to boxing.  Lucas Matthysse, however, has the better record right now (27-0) and is ranked higher than Judah by most observers.   This will be a good fight in light welterweight, boxing's hottest division. 

* November 6, Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rafael Marquez (Showtime)
Glen Johnson vs. Allan Green
MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV 

 Juan Manuel Lopez is one of boxing's 5 most exciting fighters.  He is 29-0, has a 90% knockout rate, and has enough defensive vulnerabilities to make things interesting, having been knocked down in his last fight.

He faces his toughest opponent yet in Rafael Marquez, the grizzled Mexican veteran ranked #4 in the lightweight division, who is fresh off his career-ending knockout of rival Israel Vazquez.

I see this as a potential fight of the year candidate if Marquez brings his A game.

Meanwhile, new competitor Glen Johnson and Allan Green will bring us our next installment in the Showtime Super Six series.

* November 13, Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito (HBO)
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
Undercard: Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Ricardo Cordoba, Kelly Pavlik vs. Bryan Vera, and Mike Jones vs. Jesus Soto Karass.

This fight isn't without controversy. Margarito is just coming back from a suspension for having plaster in his handwraps, and some say he didn't deserve this fight.

So there's a storyline, and a chance for Pacquiao to reaffirm his good-guy reputation.  He's going for a title in his record 8th division.

It will be a good fight, however long it goes, and will reaffirm Pacquiao's claim as the #1 fighter in boxing.

Pacquiao fights usually have lousy undercards, but this is an exception.  Guillermo Rigondeaux, Kelly Pavlik, and Mike Jones are all guys to watch.

* November 20, Paul Williams vs. Sergio Martinez II (HBO)

Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez.  Two of the top seven pound-for-pound fighters in the world.  Rematch of last year's epic battle, where Williams scored a narrow Unanimous decision victory.  If Martinez wins, he may be fighter of the year.  

One of the frontrunners for fight of the year.

November 26, Juan Carlos Burgos vs. Hozumi Hasegawa for the WBC featherweight title

Hozumi was the top featherweight in the world before he was knocked out by Fernando Montiel earlier this year.  Let's see how he bounces back.

* November 27, Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Michael Katsidis (HBO) 

Undercard: Andre Berto vs. ???; Celestino Caballero vs. Jason Litzau

Aside from his fight against Mayweather, the ageless Marquez (pictured) never delivers a poor performance.  Ring has him as the 3rd best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and Katsidis is a gritty, exciting fighter.

Andre Berto is ranked #3 Welterweight in the world, just behind Pac Man and Money Mayweather, and ahead of such guys as Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Joshua Clottey and Tim Bradley (who admittedly is more of a light welterweight).

Celestino Caballero is a long, rangy fighter with an incredible life story.  Jason Litzau is a worthy opponent.  This will be a good Pay Per View card.

* November 27, Andre Ward vs. Andre Dirrell (Showtime)

Andre Ward is the only fighter still undefeated in Showtime's Super Six tournament, and is ranked #2 super middleweight in the world, just behind Bute.  He could be the next great American fighter, and this is one of the biggest fights of his career.

Andre Dirrell is another quality American talent.  He looked great handing Arthur Abraham his first career loss earlier this year, and a win against Ward would give him the best resume of any fighter during 2010.

These two friends will put together an interesting, significant fight.

* November 27, Arthur Abraham vs. Carl Froch (Showtime)

Also on November 27th on Showtime, you can watch the other two fighters who have endured the entire Super Six tournament.  Both Froch and Abraham are coming off their first career losses, and this fight will reignite one fighter's career and mark a second consecutive loss for the other.  Plus, the winner has a likely spot in the Super Six finals.

December 9, Tomasz Adamek vs. Vinny Maddalone

Tomasz Adamek is one of the best things in boxing right now.  A top 5 heavyweight after only four fights in the division, he's a former light heavyweight and cruiserweight titlist.  A skilled boxer, a bit undersized as a heavyweight, but possessing a granite chin, he will be fighting in his fourth fight this year, not holding out and demanding a huge pay-per-view date like most of the world's top fighters.

Every Adamek fight is interesting because he fights well, takes a lot of hits, and finds ways to prevail.  Admittedly, this is a less interesting match than many of Adamek's but it's probably his last fight before he fights Vitali Klitschko next year.

Kathy Duva of Main Events is my favorite promoter in boxing today, because she makes fights happen.  Her main fighters Tomasz Adamek and Zab Judah are looking a lot better because of the great job she does.

* December 11, Marcos Maidana vs. Amir Khan

These light welterweights are two of the top four in the best division in boxing right now (the other two: Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander, are slated to meet on January 29th of 2011).  Both fighters are immensely talented, but have also showed some vulnerabilities.

The fighters are well-matched, and the winner of this fight has a natural next bout against the winner of Bradley-Alexander, which could potentially unify the best division in boxing right now.  

December 11, Wladimir Klitschko vs. ???

Only three months after defeating Samuel Peter, Klitschko will again step into the ring against an as-of-yet unnamed opponent.  This probably won't be a competitive fight, but people who say Klitschko is boring must not watch his fights.  He wins most of them by knockout and is undoubtedly the most dominant fighter in the heavyweight division in quite a while.

* December 18, Jean Pascal vs. Bernard Hopkins

Pascal beat everyone's "can't-miss" American prospect Chad Dawson a few months ago.  This fight, against 45-year-old Bernard Hopkins, is hugely significant for the light heavyweight division.  

If Pascal can beat the living legend, he'll have essentially unified the light heavyweight division, having beaten all of the top 5 or 6 guys except Tavoris Cloud.  If Hopkins wins, it will be one more magic moment in his extraordinary career.  He's pulled bigger upsets than this in the past (against Kelly Pavlik two years ago).

Win or lose, this could be boxing fans' final chance to see the great Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins in action.