Let the Timothy Bradley-Devon Alexander hangover begin! It’s not because we all got so loaded partying and having a good time that we have this hangover. It’s because we had some cheap champagne and it gave us a headache so we went to bed and woke up feeling bad.
This week does not offer aspirin in the extra-strength concentration or quantities we need, but it has some noteworthy items on the calendar; I guess that makes it aromatherapy or something:
- Tomas Rojas vs. Nobuo Nashiro, Saturday, Osaka Japan. Rojas and Nashiro are two junior bantamweights who have done a lot lately to win love. Rojas had kind of been a stepping stone, albeit an exciting one, until he won a vacant belt last year. Nashiro has recently occupied himself with a loss and a draw to Hugo Cazares, but both fights were competitive and action-packed, especially the second. Nashiro is the #2 man according to The Ring at 115 (behind Cazares, natch) and Rojas is #3, so there’s some significance to the match-up, in addition to the possibility it could be a firecracker.
- Sergio Mora vs. Brian Vera, Friday, ESPN2, Fort Worth Texas. This one’s for fanatics of The Contender, I suppose, if they like mixing and matching their favorite seasons of grads from the TV show to see who would win. Mora is coming off that draw against Shane Mosley, where he was competitive late but earned some emnity from fans for taking so very, very long to engage. Had he fought early like he did late, he not only would have upset Mosley but would have maybe picked up some fans. Vera, by contrast, is no runner. Nobody knows how to spell his name, apparently (it’s either Bryan or Brian, depending on where you read), but he knows one thing and that’s come forward, get socked then sock back. It worked for him when he knocked out the favored Sebastian Demers last year, but he’s otherwise lost five of his last eight. This bout is contested at super middleweight, which is higher than the 154 or 160 where Mora’s been fighting lately, so that adds a dynamic of doubt for Mora that might not otherwise be present.
- ShoBox, Friday, Showtime, Santa Ynez Calif. Let’s talk about the headlining bouts first even though the third fight on the card is actually the most interesting. Luis Franco is a Cuban featherweight who has yet to make a good impression on ShoBox, since he was in two ugly bouts both times. He’s not without talent, but he’s running out of chances to make anybody like him, even if his opposition was heavily to blame for the ugly. His opponent, Leolino Miranda, doesn’t have much on his record outside a knockout loss to Orlando Cruz. Freddie Roach-trained cruiserweight Lateef Kayode has proven exciting more often than not, but he’s dialed back the competition since underwhelming against Alfredo Escalera, Jr., and his oppoent for Friday, Nicholas Iannuzzi, doesn’t figure to change that trend. The third bout has chops for both competition and entertainment, as it features slugging lightweights Archie Ray Marquez (a successful ShoBox participant in the past) and Marvin Quintero (a successful ShoBox participant for a while, until he got knocked out in 2009). Quintero lost his most recent fight so presumably he’s been fed to the newer, more promising prospect, but his prior acclaim and hard-nosed style means that this will be Marquez’ toughest test, and a chance for him to produce some sparks.
- Francisco Sierra vs. Dyah Davis, Saturday, Fox Deportes/Fox Sports Net, Maywood Calif. Sierra’s coming off that brutal knockout upset he put on Don George on Friday Night Fights just a few months ago, and his reward is he gets to headline another televised card. His dance partner is Dyah Davis, last seen losing to Aaron Pryor, Jr. on ShoBox. As with all these Fox cards, your guess is as good as mine whether it’ll be on Fox Deportes, one of the Fox Sports Net channels or not at all.
- The Rest. Lightweight prospect Mike Perez gets the headlining gig on TeleFutura Saturday… assorted semi-title bouts, including Saul Alvarez’ bro Rigoberto against Austin Trout for Alvarez’ junior middleweight trinket.
