Two-time welterweight beltholder Paul Williams is being considered for a bout with WBC junior middleweight titleholder Saul Alvarez in September.
Weekend Preview: Peter continues comeback
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HERNAN MARQUEZ vs. RICHIE MEPRANUM Rounds / weight class: 12 rounds / junior bantamweights Location: Grapevine (near Dallas), Texas Television: Fox Sports Net/Fox Sports en Espanol The backdrop: Mexico‘s popular “Tyson” Marquez (27-0, 20 knockouts) is an entertaining pressure fighter with heavy hands but the 21-year-old southpaw does not punch like his nickname and should be tested by light-punching but always game Mempranum (16-2-1, 3 KOs), who went the distance with former flyweight beltholder Denkaosan Kaovichit in 2007, before the seasoned Japan-based Thailand native won a 112-pound title. Also fighting: Samuel Peter vs. Nagy Aguilar, 12 rounds, heavyweights Rating the card: B. This show should be fun. Marquez-Mempranum is a good matchup on paper, and the Peter-Aguilar fight is an elimination bout for one of the belts. Former titleholder Peter (33-3, 26 KOs) is finally fighting a heavyweight with a pulse since his one-sided loss to Vitali Klitschko. Aguilera (15-2, 10 KOs), a young Dominican who is really just a prospect, is coming off a one-round blowout of faded Oleg Maskaev in December. Undefeated lightweight contender Anthony Peterson is on the undercard. SATURDAY MANNY PACQUIAO vs. JOSHUA CLOTTEY Rounds / weight class: 12 rounds / welterweights Location: Arlington, Texas Television: HBO Pay-Per-View The backdrop: THE RING‘s No. 1-rated welterweight is defending his 147-pound title against the magazine‘s No. 5-rated welterweight before 45,000 fans in Cowboys Stadium. Also fighting: Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz, 12 rounds, lightweights Rating the card: B. It says something when the venue of a fight outshines the actual main event matchup, but Clottey should provide an honest challenge to Pacquiao and might even extend the dynamic Filipino icon the 12-round distance. The Soto-Diaz matchup will be an action fight between an aging former 135-pound beltholder and a former 130-pound titleholder for a vacant lightweight belt. Both fighters are coming off decision victories over a shopworn Jesus Chavez and have frankly seen better days. Welterweight fringe contender Alfonzo Gomez will take on badly faded former lightweight champ Jose Luis Castillo on the televised undercard. |