Gallagher in Slow Motion from FCTN on Vimeo.
Like the above video of a crazy old man smashing various objects with a hammer, this week's boxing matches should be entertaining, if not entirely meaningful. The action focuses around an Showtime televised quadruple header from Brooklyn's new Barclays Centre, headlined by junior welterweights Danny Garcia and Erik Morales. Apart from that it's slim pickings.
- Danny Garcia vs. Erik Morales, Paulie Malignaggi vs. Pablo Cesar Cano, Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam vs. Peter Quillin and Randall Bailey vs. Devon Alexander, Saturday, Showtime, Brooklyn. TQBR founder Tim will have a full preview later in the week, but I can't help but throw in my two cents on this card. Like the protagonist of the video, Erik Morales (52-8) is a crazy old man (two metaphors out of one video – beat that!). How can he possibly think that he'll get a win over junior welterweight Garcia (24-0), who knocked him down and soundly beat him last year? I don't know. Ah well. Even if you wouldn't bet on him, you'd sure as hell bet on him to make it a bit interesting. Still, Garcia will be even more confident this time out and we may see an ignominious end to “El Terrible's” career. Hometown hero Paulie Malignaggi (31-4-0) should put on a good show against welterweight Pablo Cesar Cano (25-1-1). Cano's main limitation is in the speed department, where “The Magic Man” excels. Neither man lacks for heart, so if Cano can find Malignaggi a bit, their fight should be an entertaining game of tag. Probably the most evenly matched fight of the night going in, the middleweight bout between France's Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam (27-0) and Yank Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (27-0), pits two prospects turned contenders in a bout for respect at the bottom of the middleweight top 10. Both men are decent boxers, but neither is going to set the world on fire with their skills. Quillin has 3' on the sturdy Frenchman, but hopefully won't use that as an excuse to stand still – a bad habit that saw him getting caught with unnecessary punches even against an aged Winky Wright. The stinker of the night will be the fight between welterweights Randall Bailey (43-7) and Devon Alexander (23-1). Bailey is probably the biggest puncher in the whole sport, which Alexander will use as a pretext to play keep-away for 12 rounds while repeatedly grunting. It'd be a cold boxing heart that didn't root for Bailey to score a highlight reel stoppage, but if it happens, you'll have to sit through some dross to see it.
- The Rest. A bit hard pressed to field “the rest” this week…Who invited this guy back to the party? Argentine junior bantamweight Omar Narvaez, who stank out the joint against Nonito Donaire, returns tomorrow at home… Gay boxer, featherweight and media sensation Orlando Cruz (18-2-1) fights Jorge Pazos (20-4) in Florida on Friday… British welterweight talent Kell Brook (28-0) takes a rather disappointing backwards step against the unproven Hector Salvidia (41-2) in his hometown of Sheffield, England on Saturday …Filipino bantamweight A.J. Banal (28-1-1) faces Thailand's Pungluang Sor Singyu (42-1) at home in the Philippines.
