This time last year Kermit Cintron was the welterweight division's top prospect. Hailed as an unstoppable wrecking machine, he was tipped to be the next Felix Trinidad or "Hitman" Hearns. Set to fight for the WBO belt on the big Shane Mosely card in Vegas, Cintron was expected by many to beat Antonio Margarito and walk away the new champion.

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Almost a year to the day since his five round beating at the fists of Margarito, "The Killer" is now reduced to fighting on a bill tonight that won't generate a great deal of interest, on a day when only smaller fight cards generally take place. The Palm Beach Convention Centre is hardly Caesar's Palace; ESPN's Wednesday Night Fights doesn't compare to Pay Per View; and whilst Cintron probably wanted to fight the man who headlined the biggest card of his life, lower echelon contender David Estrada probably wasn't the one he was after.

Still, the fight tonight is an eliminator for the number two spot in the IBF ratings, a sad reflection of the way the rankings work these days. How Estrada, without a fight since Mosely outclassed him a year ago, can be in a position to get this close to a world title shot is beyond me. The same thing can be said for Cintron; he's had one meaningless win since the Margarito fight, does that really merit another crack at a crown?

However meaningless the fight may turn out to be, it's still got to be worth a look if only for the fact that we get to see legendary trainers Emanuel Steward and Angelo Dundee go head to head one more time. Well, that and it could be a good scrap. Estrada's tough and durable and he'll come to fight. He also probably has enough skills to be able to outbox Cintron and win a
decision if he can take The Killer's shots. Whilst his power may be questionable, you also have to remember that so is Cintron's chin.

Despite all that, I personally believe that Cintron will just have too much and will win by stoppage in the middle rounds. Estrada is too predictable and easy to hit and he can't afford to be that way against someone like Cintron. You also need to take in to account Estrada's idleness of late. Can he really afford to go in against a huge puncher when he's not been hit
competitively for nearly a year? It's a big risk to take. When a puncher of Cintron's caliber is involved, a brutal knockout is not just likely, it's almost certain.

Whether or not Cintron can go on to do something after a victory tonight is still up in the air. The TV companies love him and as long as he's not rushed into another Margarito situation, he could be going places. He's got the power to do it, that's for sure. In many ways his career is shaping up similar to Julian Jackson's and I’m sure Cintron hopes it will continue that way.

Click to read more boxing articles by Chris Trimble

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