The opening HBO TV bout this Saturday from Boardwalk Hall features a crossroads fight for two heavyweight contenders.  Before Chad Dawson and Bernard Hopkins engage in their bitter rematch, two college educated Americans will battle for the opportunity to be seen as this country’s next best shot at heavyweight glory.

In boxing, the crossroads fights often come with expected roles for each fighter.  Michigan State graduate, Seth Mitchell 24-0 (18 KO) will represent the up and coming talent expected to showcase his skills against a talented veteran.  He is the heavy favorite expected to add a talented veteran scalp to his resume and experience level.

Saint Joseph’s University graduate, Chazz Witherspoon 30-2 (22 KO) will represent the veteran opponent role with a reasonable chance of winning.  The heavy underdog will be expected to give Mitchell his best challenge thus far, but eventually succumb to the young contender’s strengths and take his loss by knockout or decision.

Each man has their roles, but each fighter also has a big opportunity to advance their career.  For Mitchell, a win over the talented Witherspoon, whose only losses came against heavyweight contenders Chris Arreola and Tony Thompson, would announce that he is certainly a contender in the modern heavyweight division.  Witherspoon has the chance to show that he can hang with the best in the sport and deserves another run at the top.

Both fighters got late starts to their boxing careers.  Mitchell was a star football player at Michigan State.  He ended up in boxing after several knee surgeries ended his days on the gridiron.  He began boxing in 2006 and turned pro in 2008 after a brief amateur career.

Mitchell had to learn on the job as most boxers begin as children, not in their early twenties.  But Mitchell has so far succeeded where so many other ex-football players have failed.  He has gotten better with each fight and topped it off with an impressive second round knockout of Timur Ibragimov last December in his HBO debut.  He made a statement becoming the first to stop Ibragimov and he did it in impressive fashion.

Witherspoon, meanwhile, was not so successful in his HBO debut.  Like Mitchell, he got a late start in the sport. In his sophomore year of college, Witherspoon talked with his cousin and former Heavyweight Champion, Tim Witherspoon and decided to take up boxing.  He officially started his amateur career in 2002.  Following a very successful amateur career that included winning the 2004 National Golden Gloves title and being an alternate on the 2004 Athens Olympic team, Witherspoon turned pro.

Witherspoon turned pro with a great deal of attention despite the late start in boxing.  He was family to a former heavyweight champion and was part of the Olympic team.  Expectations were high to say the least.  He stormed out to twenty-three straight wins  in four years, setting up a showdown with fellow undefeated American Heavyweight, Chris Arreola on HBO.

For Witherspoon, it would be a night he would rather forget.  After an even start, Arreola took it to Witherspoon in the third and put him on the canvas twice.  Witherspoon would be disqualified at the end of the round when his corner jumped in before the official end of the round, very possibly to save their fighter from further punishment.

Witherspoon won three straight following the Arreola fight to get another chance at stepping up to better competition.  Again, he would come up short.  This time a ninth round TKO loss to veteran heavyweight contender Tony Thompson.  Witherspoon has won five in a row since the Thompson fight and is looking to get another crack at testing himself against the best in the division.

Any crossroads fight has questions for each fighter.  Mitchell is considered a strong puncher who can knock out most of the top heavyweight talent.  The question is whether he can handle the boxing skills Witherspoon will bring and, if the fight goes into the later rounds, how will he handle the deeper waters considering he has gone eight rounds only once.

Witherspoon comes in with a high boxing IQ, decent power, and the lessons learned from some tough losses to top competition.  In this fight, Witherspoon will have to show he has the mental toughness and the chin to handle the power and pressure from a top heavyweight.  Whichever fighter can overcome their question marks and capitalize on the other’s shortcomings will come out on top Saturday night.

Mitchell has the opportunity to continue his fast rise from football player to top American heavyweight.  Witherspoon has what may be a final opportunity to march towards his family legacy of being a heavyweight champion.  Both men have a great opportunity in front of them to rise to the top of the heavyweight division.

Notes

Mitchell and Witherspoon held a conference call last week to discuss the upcoming fight where they sounded like ready fighters but also displayed their educated backgrounds.  Witherspoon proudly discussed his academic scholarship to Saint Joe’s and how he would be a pharmaceuticals sales representative if he was not boxing.  Mitchell talked about his degree from Michigan State and said he would likely use his criminal justice degree towards mentoring young kids if not currently boxing.

Both men were very cordial to the other and respected each other’s background and boxing ability.  Of course both made it clear that the mutual respect will go only so far once the bell rings, as both men have something to accomplish this Saturday night and will look to do so at the other’s expense.

• The Boxing Tribune will be live at ringside to cover Hopkins-Dawson, Mitchell-Witherspoon, and the entire under card so check back shortly after the fights have ended Saturday night.

Question, comment, agree, disagree, or anything at all, send it to gboxing3@gmail.com

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In December of 2010, a 45-year-old Hopkins was supposed to be cashing out of a 22-year career, flown in to Quebec to be sacrificed to 27-year-old WBC light heavyweight titlist, Jean Pascal. It really wasn’t a matter of “if” Hopkins would be beaten and forcibly retired, the experts were only stuck on “how” it would happen.

But Hopkins would survive knockdowns in the first and third rounds to put on a boxing clinic in the final two-thirds of the bout and wind up with a disputed draw.

Five months later, Hopkins would once again walk into Pascal’s adopted home province but, this time, turn in a clearly dominant and undeniably winning performance to get the unanimous decision and become, at 47 years of age, the oldest fighter to ever win a world title.

Hopkins’ first title defense, against former champ Chad Dawson, promised to be a stylistically ugly, slow-paced bout between two low-output stylists. Hopkins-Dawson delivered on the poor expectations for most of the first two rounds, with the only excitement coming at the very end, when Dawson lifted and tossed Hopkins to the canvas. Hopkins, who would suffer a dislocated shoulder, was originally ruled a TKO loser by referee Pat Russell, but would later get back his title when the bout was declared a no contest by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC)

Now, the rematch is set for this coming Saturday and Hopkins is reliving the same story, cast in the underdog role against someone who should roll over him, at least on paper.

It’s a role Hopkins actually relishes, a role that has become part of his character and a driving force behind his success.

Life isn’t really seen as a source of great opportunity on the “wrong” side of the tracks. Rather, it’s an obstacle to overcome, an opponent to defeat. Those who have come from this socioeconomic vacuum to achieve success are the strongest of the strong. They’ve conquered life in spite of the odds stacked against them.

Bernard Hopkins, despite his status as a first-ballot hall of famer and a reputation as one of the greatest boxers of this era, is still very much the poor kid from Philadelphia with the chip on his shoulder and the me vs. the world attitude.

” I was born in 1965, a great year for segregation,” Hopkins told the media during last week’s promotional teleconference. “I was the underdog based on being black. So, being the underdog in boxing or being the underdog when others have their opinion, this is kids play…People like me, and I say people like me, understand [being the] underdog – whether it’s sport, whether it’s play, whether it’s corporate America. So am I comfortable being in this situation? Maybe. Maybe I got immune to it. Maybe it grew on me over the years.”

It’s this attitude that has earned the veteran more than his fair share of detractors. To some, Hopkins comes across as the perpetual victim and, in the ring, that attitude manifests itself as a “win at all costs” mentality. Whether it takes some old-school, well-timed fouling or an off-broadway acting job, Hopkins is working for the win, not for the sake of maintaining appearances.

But for a fighter born without elite athleticism and not fortunate to have proper promotional representation until much later in his career, this mindset was not only beneficial, but downright vital to his success.

Love him or hate him, Hopkins has done it all the hard way and, unlike a lot of today’s stars, has earned every little step forward over the course of his 24 year career. He’s done it all through the exceptionally unglamorous method of hard work– and maybe that’s why “The Executioner” has been so hard to keep down.

Tough, ex-cons from the streets of Philadelphia aren’t supposed to become wealthy icons in the “legit” world. A loser in his professional debut isn’t supposed to go on to become a legend in the sport. A fighter without the right political/promotional connections isn’t supposed to win the world title and hold on to it for nearly a decade. Fighters at 40 years of age with back-to-back losses aren’t supposed to go on to have almost another full career two divisions to the north.

Hopkins overcame it all by working harder, spending more laborious time in the gym, perfecting his craft, and maintaining a tight mental control over both himself and whatever situation he has found himself in over the years– whether it be prison, his personal life, or his ring work.

Some day it has to end and Hopkins will be retired. Maybe it’ll happen this Saturday against Chad Dawson on HBO. But for a fighter who has been the underdog for so many big fights and hasn’t been beaten decisively, sans controversy since losing to Roy Jones Jr. back in 1993, keen followers would be wise to withhold judgment until after the fight.

The history book can be tossed out the window when it comes to Bernard Hopkins. The 47-year-old has proven long ago that, at least in his world, history happens on his terms.

“I’m not a fool to think that I’m here because I’m just that good,” Hopkins said. “Listen, I think there’s a lot of fighters out there that are as talented as me, but there’s one thing that I’ve had and that I got and that I will never lose even in my personal life, [it] is the discipline to stay the course…a motivation for me to keep pushing, to prove what I’ve been and who I am.

But they don’t have to [give me credit] because I already won. I won ten years ago. I could’ve stopped and did them all a favor. I already won. But I’m on something else right now and that something else is even greater than what I’ve done in the last 10-15 years, believe it or not, and I’ve done a lot of great things. But April 28th is going to be something that you’re all gonna be saying, “Man”-I’m gonna rewrite the book. I’m gonna rewrite the book.”

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Juan Manuel Marquez is the consummate “pro” boxer.  Brandon Rios is the consummate “I don’t care what you think bad ass” fighter.  While the two Mexican fighters (Marquez being Mexican and Rios Mexican-American) are very different individuals at very different points in their career, they share one common bond.  Both are action fighters who make for crowd pleasing bouts.  The two will share a stage Saturday night from separate venues on a quick fix HBO/Top Rank PPV.  Both were gunning for bigger fights, but when those fell through Top Rank Promotions threw together what they could for each fighter to stay busy.

While Marquez is a sure thing for the hall of fame and on the tail end of his career, the upstart Rios is just starting to make a name for himself.  Assuming both win on Saturday as they are expected, this could be a prelude to a very interesting crossroads bout between these two later this year.

Marquez is coming off yet again getting the short end of the stick in a very tight bout with superstar Manny Pacquiao.  For the third time, Marquez fought on even or better ground with the Filipino star, but did not get the nod from the judges.  He now has a draw and two losses against Pacquiao, but arguments can be made that he won all three fights.  Marquez may want a fourth shot to defeat Pacquiao, but the Filipino takes on Tim Bradley on June 9 so he will have to probably wait until late 2012 for the opportunity.

Meanwhile, Rios was slated for a much anticipated showdown with speedy Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa, but the bout fell through due to contractual issues and Gamboa chose not to go through with the fight.  Rios is coming of a tenth round knockout of John Murray where he won the fight, but lost his lightweight title on the scales due to not being able to make the 135lb limit.

So, left without big names or big fights, each man chose to take what was available and stay active instead of sitting around waiting for a better opportunity.  Each fighter will get into the ring looking to stay active, be exciting, and stay relevant for bigger things later in the year.

Marquez will battle Serhiy Fedchenko in a Jr. Welterweight bout from the New Mexico City Arena in Mexico City.  Marquez 53-6-1 (39 KO) had hoped to become the first Mexican to win titles in four weight classes, but was beaten to the punch when Erik Morales was gifted the WBC 140lb title last year against Pablo Cesar Cano.  Marquez fights Fedchenko 30-1 (13 KO) for the interim WBO 140lb strap to get a piece of hardware in a fourth division.  Whether winning the interim title makes him a four division champ is up for debate and a topic that won’t be tackled in this column.  At least it places Marquez in a position to stay busy and relevant while waiting for a better opportunity.

Meanwhile, from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas Brandon Rios 29-0-1 (22 KO) will meet Richard Abril 17-2-1 (8 KO) for the interim WBA Lightweight title that went vacant when Rios lost the title on the scales before his last outing.  Abril earned himself a shot at the tough Rios when he appeared at the scheduled Gamboa-Rios press conference.  Abril began making comments to Rios and physically pushed the easily agitated brawler, setting the stage to be “Bam Bam’s” opponent when Gamboa dropped out.

As stated above both Marquez and Rios are expected to handle business and walk away with wins on Saturday.  The payoff for everyone is probably not this Saturday, but what could transpire if everyone follows script.  The PPV likely will not do overly well considering two factors–  Neither fighter is expected to be challenged and fans may be tight with their cash with Mayweather-Cotto and Pacquiao-Bradley PPV’s on the horizon.  The fact that Marquez and Rios both make for exciting fights no matter what will attract some hardcore followers, but don’t expect this to break the bank.

But if both win and they choose to meet each other in the summer, they will headline a card that will do far better in numbers.  Marquez vs. Rios presents a fascinating style match and a true crossroads bout that will have hardcore fans licking their chops.  Top Rank chief, Bob Arum has stated if both men win Saturday, a PPV of Marquez vs. Rios at Cowboys stadium on July 14 is a possibility.  The two Mexican fighters will certainly draw a crowd in Dallas, TX and should do well in PPV buys as well for several reasons.

Boxing fans want action.  Especially when they are going to shell out their hard earned money on PPV.  Rios does not know how to be a in a bad fight.  He comes forward, defense be damned, and looks to separate his opponents from their senses.  Marquez was knocked early in his career for being too technical, but for the past five years he has become a no fear fighter that will stand and trade with opponents while using his technical skills to get the better of the action.  These two sharing a ring is sure to provide fireworks.

The fight presents intriguing style contrasts that make it difficult to predict.  One could easily argue the bigger, stronger, more physical Rios will be able to bulldoze Marquez and wear him down.  If Juan Diaz had Marquez in trouble several years ago with relentless pressure, than surely the stronger Rios will be able to finish the job.

But not so fast.  Marquez has proven time and time again that it is simply not that easy to run him over.  Everyone thought for sure that at 147 Pacquiao would blow him out of the ring,yet their he was, the Mexican warrior-technician, standing his ground and sending the P4P star into the same confusion from eating right hands that Marquez produced at lower weights.  In fact, it would be easy to argue that Marquez’s superior skill, ring IQ, experience, and numerous other intangibles would allow him to easily pick apart the rudimentary Rios to an easy middle rounds stoppage.  Miguel Acosta had Rios hurt.  So Marquez could do far better and finish the job.

The scripts are endless and the result is uncertain.  Youth vs. experience.  Intelligence goes against strength.  The old adage skill vs. will.  Marquez’s brilliant counter punching playing the immovable object while Rios’s pressure plays the irresistible force.  Let them both win on Saturday.  Then let them get it on July 14.  A win-win for all involved, especially the fans.

Question, comment, agree, disagree, or anything at all, send it to gboxing3@gmail.com

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photos by R. McCarson

Houston, TX – Fighters from tomorrow night’s HBO World Championship Boxing Erik Morales (52-7, 36 KOs) vs. Danny Garcia (22-0, 14 KOs) card took to the scales today in front of a raucous, pro-Morales crowd at the PlazAmericas Mall in Houston.

First up to the scales was the legendary Morales who was showered with cheers from his boisterous admirers.  Chants of “Mexico, Mexico, Mexico” from the hundreds in attendance engulfed the food court area as he stepped up to the scale.

Morales weighed in two pounds over the 140 lb junior welterweight limit but seemed unfazed by what that meant to his status as WBC champion.  He immediately began guzzling Gatorade, which means he was content to lose the strap on the scales rather than try and sweat off the excess weight.

Next up was challenger Danny “Swift” Garcia who, despite his heritage, was resoundingly booed by the crowd as they pelted him with shouts of discontent.  Garcia seemed to enjoy it, though, as did his father/trainer, Angel Garcia.  They made gestures to the crowd as did the small group of people surrounding them in green Team Garcia shirts.

Garcia weighed in at 139.5 which seemed to bolster his already healthy confidence. During the staredown, Garcia’s 24-year-old enthusiasm came out in full fervor, while Morales appeared the poised veteran, indicating that even he believed he was already in his opponent’s head.

The co-main event of the evening features junior middleweight James Kirkland (30-1, 27 KOs) in his first bout since his stirring TKO victory over Alfredo Angulo last November in what many believed to be the fight of the year.

Kirkland and his opponent, Carlos Molina (19-4-2, 6 KOs), made weight right under the junior middleweight limit of 154 by weighing in at 153.75 lb.

True to form, Kirkland and his trainer, the immensely serious Ann Wolfe, were all business as they strutted in for the weigh-in and promptly strutted right back out.

“We come to fight,” Wolfe said the day before at the media luncheon.

Finally, Golden Boy Promotions handed out a surprise addition to the bout sheet a couple days ago in that Jose Luis Castillo (63-11-1, 54 KOs) would appear as part of the untelevised portion of the undercard against Jose Miguel Cotto (32-3-2, 24 KOs), meaning fights fans in attendance will be treated to a little of boxing’s famed Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry as an added bonus.

Castillo was 147.8 lb; Cotto 144.5 lb.  Despite being listed as a welterweight, the fight is reportedly scheduled for 10 rounds at a contracted catch-weight of 145 lb, meaning Castillo was more than two pounds over.

The Boxing Tribune will provide live coverage of the event with tweets, photos and ringside reports so be sure to check back with us all weekend long.

Oscar De La Hoya, of Golden Boy Promotions, hosted today’s press conference in preparation for the Morales-Garcia fight card on Saturday, March 24th at Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas.

In the co-main event, James Kirkland (30-1, 27 KOs) will take on Carlos Molina (19-4-2, 6 KOs).

Molina, quiet and humble, took to the podium first.

“First off I’d like to thank God for even letting me be here… I’m excited and happy to be fighting in Texas… I’m ready to go. I’m ready for anything on Saturday night.”

Next, Oscar introduced Kirkland’s trainer, Ann Wolfe, who has become well-known in the world of boxing, not only because she’s a woman, but also due to her unique and tough training methods.  Wolfe appeared focused and serious, never cracking a smile while she spoke at the podium.

“I’d like to thank God for this opportunity.  Um…I just say we come to fight.  I know Carlos ready.  I know James ready.  It was like, if Carlos does this, if James does this.  If if’s, and’s and but’s were candies, cherries and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.  So we gotta come Saturday and we’ll all see what’s gonna happen.”

Kirkland took to the stage, and just like his trainer, was also very focused and serious.

“First of all, I want to give thanks to God for this opportunity… Looking forward to fighting anybody at 154 after this fight.  Looking forward to getting a world title shot.  But until then, you know, know this is gonna be a hell of a fight and give everybody what they want to see and that’s action.”

In Saturday’s main event, Erik Morales (52-7, 36 KOs) will take on Philadelphia native Danny Garcia (22-0, 14 KOs).

Garcia’s father, and trainer, Angel Garcia was first up to the mic.  He was very passionate, and he has full confidence in his son’s ability.

“First of all, I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be here with Danny… It’s not gonna be hard, but it’s not gonna be easy… March 24th, Saturday, believe this, Danny will be the WBC world champion.”

Garcia shared his father’s same passion.  Although he was respectful to Morales, Garcia was also very confident and believes it’s his time to be world champion.

“You know, first of all, I wanna thank God.  I wanna thank, uh, my father… My dad does the talking, I back it up with the fists… I was a fan of [Morales], never thought I’d be in the ring with him.  You know, I respect what he’s done for the sport.  Nobody can take that away from him.  But it’s a new time, it’s a new era.  It’s my time, it’s ‘Swift’ time.”

Jose Morales, father and trainer of Erik Morales, took to the stage next.

“Good afternoon to everybody.  Thank you for being here.  I want to congratulate Danny on his career.  22 and 0 — good record… He’s young and hungry and strong, just like my son was when he first challenged for the title.  Now, as a veteran, he’s gonna have to defend his title against a young fighter like Danny Garcia.”

Last to the podium, was the legendary fighter himself, Erik Morales.  Morales was respectful, but stood his ground as only a champion can do.

“Good afternoon.  I’ve heard a lot of things this week… The real question is: Do you think I would accept a fight to lose?”

After that strong opening, Morales continued.

“Do you really think that strength and speed is better than technique? Speed and power are just two aspects of fighting…having technique is obviously always very important as well and beat that.  I’m happy to be here.  I’m ready for this fight… I’ve heard it all before.  Everybody says they’re gonna do this and that, and they’re gonna beat me, but are they really that stupid?… I’m going to officially change my name.  I’m not going to be “El Terrible” anymore.  I’m going to be “The Professor” and give classes.”

And with the bravado and confidence of Erik Morales, the press conference closed as the all the fighters posed for photos.  Should be an exciting evening on Saturday.

Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs) defends his lineal middleweight title against Matthew “Mack the Knife” Macklin (28-3, 17 KOs) on Saturday, March 17 at 10 PM EST/7 PM PST on HBO World Championship Boxing. This twelve-round fight headlines a night of fights in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in New York and will be held at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Macklin, born in Birmingham, West Midlands in the United Kingdom to Irish parents, comes into Saturday’s fight as the clear underdog. Having fought the overwhelming majority of his career on the Euro circuit, Macklin is making only his third appearance on American soil. He has taken stabs at regional titles in two divisions, winning the Irish middleweight, BBBofC British middleweight, and EBU middleweight titles, but losing in both attempts at regional jr. middleweight titles early in his career.

In his last fight, Macklin traveled to Germany to challenge for Felix Sturm’s WBA middleweight title. Macklin outworked, outlanded, and outscored the long time WBA titlist in the eyes of many. He did not, however, outwork, outland, and outscore Sturm on two of the most important scorecards: those of the ringside judges. Levi Martinez saw the fight 115-113 in favor of Macklin, and judges Roberto Ramirez Sr. and Jose Ignacio Martinez each turned in scores of 116-112 in favor of Sturm.

While Macklin fell short in his first bid for world gold, he gets a shot at the lineal middleweight champion on Saturday night.

Sergio Martinez, of Quilmes, Buenos Aires in Argentina, is quite possibly the most avoided fighter in his division. Martinez is the middleweight champion without a belt, and the money and fan base he brings does not stack up against the risk he poses, and as such, the other middleweight belt holders are more likely to stay within the safe confines of WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF-approved challengers.

Martinez, 37, has enjoyed success late in a career that began late. After ill-fated attempts at soccer and cycling stardom he turned to boxing, and after only two years in training he turned to the professional ranks. He spent the early portion of his career fighting in Argentina before moving to Spain, with a stoppage loss to Antonio Margarito in Las Vegas in 2000. Martinez became a minor HBO mainstay in 2008 when he stopped Alex Bunema.

In his next fight he wound up the victim of a bogus majority draw with Kermit Cintron. The fight would not have gone to the scorecards had Frank Santore Jr. not been talked into reversing a seventh-round knockout.

Martinez, however, impressed in his fight against Cintron. His unorthodox style and athleticism creates the kind of crowd-pleasing excitement so rarely seen as a result of defensive maneuvers.  He got the call to move up to the middleweight division and be the late replacement for the injured Kelly Pavlik in December of 2009. Martinez showed that he was not only a flash and dash boxer from the outside, but that he could mix it up inside with Williams, known for throwing in the neighborhood of 100 punches per round. He and Williams traded first round knockdowns, and spent a good part of twelve rounds playing tug-of-war with a fickle momentum.

Once again Martinez was involved in a controversial decision, this time he was announced the loser. If not for the curious 119-110 scorecard turned in by Pierre Benoist, the word “robbery” might not have been so liberally used to label the outcome of that exciting matchup.

It was not all for naught, as Martinez got the call to be then-middleweight kingpin Kelly Pavlik’s dance partner for his April 2010 comeback. Martinez, a natural jr. middleweight at the time, figured to be a safe option for the returning slugger from Youngstown. Martinez proved to be too much, and walked away from a bloody and demoralized Pavlik with three middleweight titles.

Now, after a stunning one-punch-knockout victory over Paul Williams in the rematch of their thrilling 2009 affair, a surgical dissection of Serhiy Dzinziruk last March and a pedestrian TKO victory over Darren Barker last October, Martinez returns to remind everyone why he deserves to be called one of the sport’s best.

In his last fight, against Barker, Martinez found he was unable to so deftly maneuver himself away from Barker’s crisp punches, and he ate a lot more leather than he had been accustomed to. He’s a guy who naturally fights with his hands low while he lures his opponent in. Even while stalking his opponent, as shown against Dzinziruk last March, he waits for openings created by his lackadaisical approach to defense to stun his opponents.

What Martinez, rated number one at middleweight, does best, is what southpaws are taught not to do. He moves quickly to his left, into the power of a right hander, and walks his opponents into his lead left hand. Since the beginning of his exploits on HBO, Martinez has sacrificed the straightness of his lead left hand for a more powerful, looping overhand left that he’ll turn over as he moves away to his right (and away from a right hander’s power).

Macklin, rated number 7, is not a devastating puncher, nor does he have the speed that one would need to consistently catch the slippery Martinez with his hands down. From the outside Macklin makes excellent use of mixing his attack to the head and body. He has shown a proclivity for throwing a left hook off a double jab. And when he gets inside, Macklin does not go away from a varied attack, and mixes in some very good body work with his attack upstairs.

What Macklin lacks, in addition to natural speed, is head movement. He has shown enough upper body movement that helped him get inside and bully Felix Sturm last year, and he’ll need more of that against Martinez on Saturday night.

For Macklin to have any success Saturday night, he’ll need to ignore his natural instinct to follow Martinez into his well-placed traps. Like Darren Barker did last October, Macklin will have to sit behind a tight defense and time his offense to start when Martinez is still in range with his hands down.

And if Martinez finds himself in a similar situation as the Barker fight, he should look to stay patient and not push for the knockout. Macklin doesn’t hide behind a high guard often, but when he does Martinez should look to use the wide right hook when on offense and wait for Macklin to come out.

In the end it is difficult to see Macklin duplicating the success he had against Sturm. Simply stated, Martinez is not as slow as Sturm, and what he lacks in technical discipline, he more than makes up for with his athletic gifts. I see Macklin having his moments early on, but as the fight wears on Martinez will pick him apart from the outside and eventually walk him into enough lead left hands that he’ll take on the role of the aggressor, stalking and hurting Macklin to force a late stoppage.

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I’ve had some positive interactions via email with Thomas Hauser and, as a matter of fact, his input was helpful in putting together and refining the World Rankings we use on this site. Personally, he has been nothing but helpful and courteous the few times we have interacted and, for the most part, I enjoy his work–especially the investigative pieces. Since then, I’ve heard some nasty things that have changed my overall perspective of the man, but personally, I’ve never had any negative experiences with him.

Anyway, for those who haven’t heard, boxing writer and dedicated HBO critic, Thomas Hauser, was recently hired by HBO as a consultant.

Hauser, in a series of well-crafted investigative pieces, had exposed the inside workings and blunders of HBO Boxing as well as each misstep of HBO Sports president, Ross Greenburg. Relying heavily on anonymous inside sources, the articles aired plenty of the network’s dirty laundry and gave readers a rare look at the business end of the fight game on TV.

When Greenburg was forced to step down from his position last year, many cited Hauser’s work as a major factor in the network’s decision.

Now, with Showtime’s Ken Hershman stepping into the Greenburg position and Hauser’s sources still “in house” and still anonymous, the HBO big wigs did what they could to prevent HBO dirty laundry from once again being aired in public–They bought Hauser.

“As of this week, I’ve undertaken a new role.  I’ve agreed to serve as a consultant to HBO Sports,” Hauser posted on website, The Sweet Science, last week. “I will have no decision-making authority at HBO. I’m not authorized to represent the network to third parties in business matters.”

Technically, HBO made Hauser a consultant. But, seeing that he won’t have any decision-making power and won’t likely be doing any actual work around the network, his salary could be seen as corporate hush money. Maybe they’ll send him a questionnaire once a month or he’ll help them with the New York Times crossword puzzle. Whatever. Just as long as he doesn’t dig into Hershman like he did with Ross Greenburg.

Yahoo’s Kevin Iole did a great job of summing up the situation in his piece late last week, so I’ll refer you there if you want to know why this is a very big deal. Sadly, Hauser was one of the few writers who had the name, contacts, and journalistic chops to do in-depth pieces. Despite his own leanings and prejudices, Hauser was one of the few real journalists involved in boxing coverage.

That a respected writer and the gatekeeper for entry into the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) would take a flying ballerina leap into the arms of a blatant conflict of interest should not surprise anyone who reads this column or pays attention to the state of boxing journalism.

The vitriol over Hauser selling out from some in the media is curious, especially considering that many of those wringing their hands in maudlin outrage still support others in the media who are just as compromised as Hauser.

In the world of boxing media, rare is the person who is not neck-deep in conflicts of interest.

All of the major websites are subsidized by advertising money from promoters and/or managers. One major site, which loves beating up on the Golden Boy-owned Ring Magazine, is also co-owned by a promoter–although you’ll never hear that from anyone else in the business. Individually, those scribes not actively shilling for their favorite fighters or fawning over being in the presence of celebrities, are busy gorging themselves on free promoter-funded grub while taking home as much free swag as they can carry.

We have a situation where major boxing media voices even feel comfortable in giving public shout-outs in their columns to publicists, promoters, and promoters’ flunkies for favors rendered.

I could easily name names and have done so in the past (See: Our semi-regular Piggies at the Trough feature), but I don’t want this to come off as part of some mysterious vendetta or grudge. The whole industry is in the crapper and, with some exceptions here and there, producing work closer to what you’d see in Pro Wrestling Illustrated than the New York Times.

The problem is that most of those who can make a change to the current incestuous nature of boxing journalism are either part of the problem or aspiring to be part of the problem. Even fake mean bloggers, who pride themselves on their fierce individualism, secretly submit their work for inclusion into the secret brotherhood of boxing scribes.

So, what we get is an entire branch of journalism powered by publicist press releases and the engorged egos of yes-men, dim-wits, and posers.

To the fans, this means that most of what they hear and read is coming directly from those with money to make, axes to grind, and a direct line to media sources who either don’t know enough or care enough to put things in their proper perspective.

And that takes us back to Hauser.

Whether readers and insiders liked his work or not, he carried the reputation of being a hard-hitting journalist who could use his contacts and craft to completely eviscerate anyone who crossed his path. Now that will no longer be the case, and no matter what he writes about from this day forward, it will be marked by his decision to take HBO’s poorly-disguised hush money.

But while hanging Hauser in effigy, let’s also look at those media outlets that take promoter/manager advertising and then “mysteriously” begin to post glowing features on fighters represented by those advertisers. Let’s look at the pompous scribes who thrive on promoter freebies and will bend their editorial stances and fake outrages accordingly. Let’s also look at the large number of mainstream boxing scribes who have formed unhealthy bonds with those they cover or have directly worked for promoters, managers, and publicists.

I can tell you from experience that you won’t make friends in this business by bringing up these issues and you certainly won’t gain many professional contacts or career opportunities.

There’s no money in telling the truth, no glory in bucking the system. Maybe that’s why so many wind up selling-out.

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Here are a couple of other really good articles on the Hauser issue, check them out:

Another Black Day for Boxing Journalism by Ted Sares

BWAA Conflicts Abound: Thomas Hauser and His Defection to HBO by William Holmes

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You can email Paul at paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com or catch him via Ham Radio every weekday after midnight, broadcasting live from his cement bunker in Central Mexico. Paul is a full member of the Burger King Kids’ Club, a born iconoclast, and an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church.

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Mitchell, who has been featured multiple times on ShoBox, will be making his second straight appearance on HBO. The Brandywine, Maryland native is coming off a TKO2 victory over veteran Timur Ibragimov last December. Witherspoon has won four in a row against lower-tier opposition since his loss to Tony Thompson in 2009.

Broner is an exciting undefeated prospect ranked 3^rd in the world among super featherweights.  He’s fun to watch and even more fun to listen to, as many will remember this quote from his latest post-fight interview:

“Uh, hold on Max.  Hey Dad!  Brush my hair one time.  Hey Pops!  Come brush my hair.  [Broner’s father brushes his hair] Alright, okay.  Now I’m more comfortable Max.”

And if you follow Broner on Twitter, you were treated to this gem,

“Just a couple days left before I PUNCH THIS DUDE IN HIS CHUBBY NOSE OF HIS LOL GET YO TICKETS I’M GOING IN!”

Broner is not the strong and silent type.

Broner has been boxing since the age of six, and he boasts an amateur career with more than 300 fights.  He’s knocked out 80% of his opponents, with the most recent being Vicente Martin Rodriguez in his last fight (which also aired on HBO).  He has a TKO win over Jason Litzau (who is currently ranked 6^th in the world among super featherweights) and a UD win over Daniel Ponce de Leon (who is currently ranked 7^th in the world among featherweights).

Perez is ranked 8^th in the world among super featherweights.  He is also undefeated, but he has yet to face a fighter ranked in the top twenty.  In his latest win, he recorded a sixth round TKO over Ira Terry.  In the spring of 2011, he recorded unanimous decision wins over Roger Gonzalez and Alejandro Rodriguez.  He made a minor title defense against Daniel Jimenez, whom he dropped twice in the first round before ending the bout with an impressive second round knockout.

The main event will feature Devon Alexander vs. Marcos Maidana, both of whom are taking their first fight at welterweight.  The fighters are ranked 4^th and 5^th in the world among junior welterweights, respectively.