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Howard “the Battersea Bomber” Eastman failed to win a world title last Saturday night, so perhaps another bomber, this time of the Australian variety will be more fortunate this Wednesday. Robbie “Bomber” Peden has beaten people up all over the world, but never claimed a world title for his own. Having knocked Nate Campbell out in five rounds in an IBF super featherweight elimination bout, repeating the trick should be a formality right? There are no certainties in life, and even less in boxing. Campbell fell at Peden’s fists once, but the inspiration of championship gold might be enough to carry Campbell to an upset win before Peden’s home supporters in Australia. On the under-card, middleweight Sam Soliman makes an appearance against Miguel Julio and Shannan Taylor seems to have recovered from his drop in form. Taylor will look to take his thirteenth consecutive win against Jose Gomez.
On Thursday, we travel back to America to the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. New York is the city that never sleeps, but Yuri Foreman is looking to put someone to sleep and if he’s not careful, Jesus Soto might be the one taking the nap. With only three wins and to losses against Foreman’s sixteen big wins, Soto might as well bring a blanket. Also in action, light welterweight Jeffrey Resto who still has some convincing to do that he is a hitter, not a quitter. Resto suffered a shock loss to Michael Warrick in his last fight and will have t show improvement to avoid another surprise against Wilmer Torres.
On Friday at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma, heavyweight Terry Smith continues his regrouping process since his first loss to fellow contender Calvin Brock. Smith has won two on the bounce since losing that all-action scrap with Brock, and every step up in class for his opponent Fernely Feliz has yielded a loss. In the event co-feature, undefeated welterweight prospect Carlos Quintana will face Turkey’s Nurhan Suleymanoglu.
Also on Friday, at the Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA, light heavyweight contender George Khalid Jones takes on Thomas Reid. Jones has mixed in high-class company against the likes of Montell Griffin and Eric Harding, losing on both occasions. He now puts his NABA light heavyweight title on the line against the Reid who has also fought a bevy of top names, usually losing. Reid did manage to defeat disgraced fighter James Butler quite recently, and both fighters are thirty-seven years old, but Reid is coming off a TKO loss and this fight may be his last stand.
Lastly on Friday, we have to make our way over the Atlantic once again to see whether undefeated British heavyweight champion Matt Skelton can dispose of Argentina’s Fabio Moli. In three years as a professional fighter, Skelton has claimed victories over most of England’s best while defeating international opposition as impressively as anyone on the U.K. scene. Moli, best known for losing to Wladimir Klitschko has been talking tough, but Skelton, a boxer who made the transition from the mixed martial arts world will look to make Moli eat his words. A win will once again voice Skelton’s claim as the best fighter in England as he hopes to lure Danny Williams and Audley Harrison into high-profile encounters later in the year. However, at thirty-eight years of age, time is of the essence.
Saturday signals the return of prodigal light welterweight Miguel Cotto to his homeland of Puerto Rico. Cotto will defend the WBO title he won in front of his home fans against classy American southpaw DeMarcus Corley. The extravagantly styled Corley was himself once a WBO light welterweight champion and his boxing style may be a tricky one for Cotto to figure, if not, the only thing more spectacular than Corley’s ring attire will be the fashion in which Cotto knocks him out. On the under-card, once-beaten featherweight contender Zahir Raheem returns to action, this time against Jose Quintana. Quintana lostall of his last three fights, a statistic that does not bode well for his challenge to a classy operator like Raheem. It should be an easy night’s work for Raheem, as long as referee Robert Gonzalez is not the third man in the ring.
By the time Cotto and company get their show on the road, we will know the results of all the fights happening in Hamburg, Germany. There, the WBA light heavyweight title shall be decided between champion Fabrice Tiozzo of France and German-based Pole Dariusz Michalczewski. With ninety-four wins, only three losses and most of the world’s best light heavyweights and cruiserweights behind them, it is certain that this match is one of quality, who will survive it is not so certain. Also in action, and also in the light heavyweight division, WBO champion Zsolt Erdei will defend his championship against Hugo Garay. And lastly, Mexico’s WBA interim bantamweight champion will try to win the championship proper by defeating the Ukraine’s Wladimir Sidorenko.
As always, the results of these fights will be brought to you by SaddoBoxing.com as they happen. We look forward to bringing you a preview of next week’s action, so stay tuned for the best boxing news for free only at Saddo’s.
Jim Cawkwell can be reached at jimcawkwell@yahoo.co.uk
