Big night? Oh yeah, a real big night! And the UK...and the US

We've already looked at how big Saturday is in Germany but it's not all for the Germans both the UK and the US have a great day in store. The UK has a number of fascinating fights, which is headlined by a European Lightweight title fight. Then of course we are off to one of the craziest nights in US boxing this year.

Firstly the UK fight sees Gavin "The Rock" Rees (35-1, 16) a former WBA Light Welterweight champion defending the European Lightweight title against "Dirty" Derry Matthews (29-5, 15). Whilst I personally favour Rees to win Matthews has been on a sensational run as of late and has won 8 of his last 9 (including out pointing both Scott Lawton and Choi Tseveenpurev). Both men are flawed but they are both hugely entertaining and well worth a watch.

In the US it's a matter of "where do we start?"
Lets start with Atlantic City and with the deep card headlined by Middleweight champion Sergio Gabriel Martinez (47-2-2, 26) facing off against unbeaten British fighter "Dazzling" Darren Barker (23-0, 14). In the past I've been critical of Barker who has been "guilty" of talking himself up though it's that same talking, as well as a lack of challenger for Martinez and good management from Matchroom Sports that have helped to land Barker the biggest chance of his professional career. Martinez is a huge favourite whilst Barker is being given the chance to really put himself on the boxing map.

The same card has an exciting rematch between Andy Lee (26-1, 19) and Brian Vera (19-5, 12). Vera previously stopped Lee to give the Irishman his first professional loss, and now a few fights on Lee attempts to avenge it. The undercard includes a number of prospects including Isaac Chilemba, Alex Perez, Sean Monaghan, Steve Martinez, Magomed Abdusalamov (a heavyweight power puncher) and J'Leon Love.

At the same sort of time Las Vegas has an equally interesting card with a number of good looking fights. The headline act there is a WBC Super Bantamweight title bout in which under-rated Japanese fighter Toshiaki Nishioka (38-4-3, 24) defends his title against the legendary Rafael Marquez (40-6, 36). I'm favouring Nishioka here but it should be both technical, exciting and entertaining. Whilst both men are highly skilled they are also powerful and fun.
The same card also brings to America the ultra talented Roman "El Chocolatito" Gonzalez (29-0, 24) of Nicaragua who defends his WBA Light Flyweight title against Omar Soto (22-7-2, 15). I'd expect Gonzalez to defend his title with relative ease, though hopefully it'll be a good enough fight to help alert the boxing world to Gonzalez.
This same card also includes some top unbeaten fighters including the excellent Christopher Martin and Yoshihiro Kamegai.

Where ever you turn you are promised some amazing fights.

Old men tussle

Some fighters just don't know when to call it a day one such man is former world heavyweight title holder Oliver McCall. The Atomic Bull, now a month shy of turning 46, and 14 years since he lost the WBC title to Lennox Lewis in that infamous bout that saw him break mentally in front of the worlds eyes is appearing once again in the ring. On Friday night Oliver McCall will face the once beaten Cedric Boswell in a fight for the vacant NABA Heavyweight title at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. Boswell (33-1) is himself 41 and was originally scheduled to face Bert Cooper, who like McCall is 45.

Whilst I personally have nothing against older fighters carrying on if they are either fighting completely meaningless fights, for example those that were had by Hassan Chitsaz against relative nobodies. The fighters that are “older” and still able to compete with the best are also fine, fighters like Bernard Hopkins, Vitali Klitschko and fighters of a similar ilk are completely fine, they take care of themselves and also don't take a great deal of damage in the ring. Though when 2 fighters are getting US TV exposure with a combined age of 86 and are neither going places nor particularly worth watching I can't really see the point of it all.

The “old” heavyweights appear to be out in force this year though with Evander Holyfield, Ray Austin, Antonio Tarver, James Toney, Hasim Rahman, Shannon Briggs, Lance Whittaker, Rob Calloway and several others all ranked by Boxrec.com in the top 100 American heavyweights. I've written in the past about the lack of American heavyweights who are young and breaking through, it doesn't help that the older guys won't go away. Until something major happens the future looks as bleak as the past has been for the big Americans, those that want to complain the division is dead only need to look at fights like this one.