Well, there goes my childhood. On the upside, middleweight Daniel Geale may finally shut Anthony Mundine up on Wednesday night, bringing to a close what has been a long, recurring nightmare for many Australians.
In other news, junior middleweight spoiler Carlos Molina is fighting Cory Spinks on Friday Night Fights. There are a few other things going on as well.
- Daniel Geale vs. Anthony Mundine, Wednesday, Sydney. After defeating long time titleholders Felix Sturm and Sebastian Sylvester in Germany, there's little doubt that Geale (28-1, 15 KO) is Australia's best boxer. In fact, according to the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, he's the # 1 contender at middleweight worldwide. Mundine (44-4, 26 KO), by contrast, has wasted the final years of his career by fighting no-one in particular, despite big talk. Now he faces a much better version of the Geale he beat by close decision in 2009. I expect a faster, calmer, smarter and stronger Tasmanian to have it all over Mundine. The Sydney fighter will have his moments, but his craftiness and speed won't be enough to allow him to hang with his younger foe for long. Either a wide decision or a late stoppage.
- Carlos Molina vs. Cory Spinks, Friday, ESPN2, Chicago. A Midwestern showdown on Friday night fights this week, between Chicagoan mauler Molina (20-5-2, 6 KO) and St Louis' faded former belt-holder Spinks (39-7, 11 KO). To be honest, I don't think there's all that much to say here. Despite an un-flashy record, Molina is just a way better fighter than Spinks at this stage in both junior middleweights' careers. It's not going to be pretty, and there's not going to be a highlight reel finish, but Molina is going to get on top of Spinks and overwhelm him, one way or another. On the undercard, a faded legend in Jose Luis Castillo (64-11-1, 55 KO) takes on a comebacking welterweight prospect in Antwone Smith (22-4-1, 12 KO). I wouldn't read too much into Castillo's win over Ivan Popoca last time out. Popoca was raw and very inexperienced. Smith has been around the block a few times, though, and Castillo's veteran savvy won't have the same effect.
- The Rest. You'd think that former middleweight titlist Felix Sturm (33-3-2, 16 KO) would be sick of Aussies after his loss last year to Daniel Geale. But you'd be wrong, with Sturm set to face wily Melbournian Sam Soliman (42-11, 17 KO) in Dusseldorf on Friday… Fox Deportes features welterweight prospect/wrecking ball Frankie Gomez (14-0) against Philadelphian “Fighting Fireman,” Lanard Lane (13-2, 8 KO)… The artist formerly known as TeleFutura, UniMas, will host Mexican lightweight prospect Jose Felix, Jr. (22-0-1, 18 KO) in a clash with Gerardo Robles (16-10, 7 KO) Saturday night… Everyone's favourite Puerto Rican power puncher/sayer of dumb shit in post-fight interviews, featherweight Juan Manuel Lopez (31-2, 28 KO) returns on Saturday against Brazil's Aldimar Silva Santos (18-3, 9 KO). Santos ain't all that and a bag of chips, which is kinda the idea.
