Here’s a rabbit wearing a sombrero. Enjoy. The week’s boxing schedule is kind of low key, with a brace of shows on ESPN2 and NBC Sports Net with some mid-level names along with Polish heavyweight Tomasz Adamek. Let’s get straight to it.
- Javier Fortuna vs. Luis Franco, Friday, ESPN2, Miami Okla. Friday Night Fights continues in its winning ways with this featherweight bout. Fortuna (22-0, 16 KO) is one of the most fancied prospects in the sport, though his reputation took a bit of a hit when he went the distance with Snooki-promoted Patrick Hyland on the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV undercard last year. He’s since bounced back, registering a KO of the Year candidate against Miguel Zamudio. Franco (11-1, 7 KO) should offer an interesting challenge for Fortuna – the Cuban knows how to slow things down and won’t be intimidated by his Dominican opponents power and reputation. I still think Fortuna will win this – his natural speed and power would pose a problem for anyone – but I don’t think it’ll be a cakewalk and will most likely go the scheduled 10 rounds. On the undercard noted headcase Kermit Cintron (33-5-2, 28 KO) takes on Jonathan Batista (14-1, 7 KO) in a fight that’s really hard to care about.
- Tomasz Adamek vs. Dominick Guinn, Saturday, NBC Sports Net, Uncasville Conn. Dominick Guinn (34-9-1, 23 KO) really shouldn’t be too much trouble for Tomasz Adamek (48-2, 29 KO). But he could be. I don’t think it’s all that controversial to say that the Veteran Pole is on a slide – he needed the assistance of the judges to get past Eddie Chambers and Steve Cunningham and was in trouble against Travis Walker. We’ll see, but it should be fun as long as it lasts. Chambers (36-3, 18 KO) is fighting on the undercard at cruiserweight, against unheralded South African Thabiso Mchunu (13-1, 10 KO). Also on TV will be a middleweight fight between former super middleweight/light heavyweight Curtis Stevens (24-3, 17 KO) and veteran Saul Roman (37-9, 31 KO). Middleweight definitely suits Stevens better – the guy was just too short to make it in higher weight divisions. Again, expect a good fight – Roman always brings it.
- The Rest. Nothing else on U.S. TV, but Panamanian flyweight Luis Concepcion (28-3, 21 KO) takes on Nestor Narvaes (19-1-2, 9 KO) in Panama City on Saturday night, while East Coast welterweight Ray Robinson (15-2, 6 KO) fights Ray Narh (26-2, 21 KO) in Delaware… On Thursday, top-10 bantam Paulus Ambunda (20-0, 10 KO) and Tomoki Kameda (27-0, 18 KO) meet in the Philippines.
