On The Bill: December Title Fights

Less than three weeks remain in the year fight fans and OH WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN! I will be the first to admit this year has knocked me off my feet on more then one occasion. With that being said, here is a quick look at the remaining world title fights left in 2007.

Saturday, December 15

Meadowbank Sports Center, Edinburgh, Scotland

“Amazing” Alex Arthur, 25-1 (19), puts his WBO Super Featherweight title on the line for the first time since capturing the belt in July of this year. Alex, who has not tasted defeat since 2003 at the hands of Michael Gomez, is looking to keep his nine bout win streak alive and retain his title when he meets England’s Stephen Foster, 23-1-1 (16).

Foster is coming off a first round KO win over Jean-Marie Codet this past October and looking to put gold around his waist once again. His last championship reign ended when he lost his WBU featherweight title to Derry Matthews by UD just over a year ago.

Lin Plaza de Toros, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico

WBC Featherweight champion Jorge Linares, 24-0 (15), makes the first defense of his title since defeating highly regarded veteran Oscar Larios this past July 21 for the vacant belt previously held by South Koreas In-Jin Chi. Linares, eager to join the elite status of little men, will lay it all on the line against Gamaliel Diaz, 22-6-2 (9).

Diaz the only man to hold a victory over current IBF featherweight champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and earned his chance to face Linares by squeaking out a split decision win over then undefeated Elio Rojas on July 13, eight days prior to the night Linares won the crown.

On the same card, WBA Super Featherweight Champion and knockout artist Edwin Valero, 22-0 (22), puts his strap on the line when he meets Mexico City resident Zaid Zavaleta, 16-2-2 (11).

Valero, who has stopped all 22 of his opponents to date, could be in line for a mega-fight with the winner of Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, after those two men meet in a highly anticipated rematch for Marquez’s WBC version of the super featherweight title on March 15, 2008.

Auditorio Juarez, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

IBF light flyweight champion Ulises Solis, 25-1-2 (19), undefeated in his last eight bouts including an eighth round TKO of formerly ranked Philippine native Rodel Mayol, will make the fifth defense of his belt against Bert Batawang, 50-6 (34), who is on a five bout win streak and will be fighting for a world title for the first time in his long career.

Sunday, December 16

Challenge Stadium, Mt Claremont (Perth), Western Australia, Australia

Stipe “Spiderman” Drews, 32-1 (13), defends his WBA Light Heavyweight title against Danny “Green Machine” Green ,24-3 (22). Drews ,whose only loss in his 34 bout career is to tough Australian Paul Briggs in 2004, has had two back to back brilliant unanimous decision wins over Silvio Branco, 55-8-2, and Kai Kurzawa, 21-1, and is looking to make Green his trifecta.

Green, who was slated to meet current IBO and former undisputed light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver on December 1, pulled out of the bout in order to take his shot at a winning a world title. Green, who has won his last three bouts by stoppage, would like to make Drews KO number four on route to becoming the new WBA Light Heavyweight kingpin.

Saturday, December 29

Seidensticker Halle, Bielefeld Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Steve “USS” Cunningham, 20-1 (10), defends his IBF Cruiserweight title against Marco Huck ,19-0 (14). Cunningham captured the title by defeating Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, 37-1, by majority decision in a rematch of their November 2006 bout for the vacant IBF title, and is a Philadelphia PA native who has developed a reputation as an all business pure boxer in the ring. He’ll be fighting for the third consecutive time Europe but for the first time as world champion.

Cunningham’s opponent, Marco Huck, is one of the top prospects in the cruiserweight division today and earned his title shot by defeating Russian born and now United States resident Vadim Tokarev in a battle of undefeated fighters on May 26 of this year.