This Week in Boxing.

With one sensational weekend of boxing over with, and yes, I know that many of you are still reeling, but we cannot waste any time in heading right back into the fray this week with a look at more high-profile boxing action. We begin our look at this week’s fights with Thursday’s showdown

between former light welterweight champion of the world Vince Phillips and Alex Bunema. Phillips’ last fight of consequence was his trip to Manchester, England where he suffered a rather one-sided beating at the hands of undefeated WBU light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton. Although Phillips’ performance that night proved that he still carries some ability, the nature of the loss obviously persuaded him to ply his trade at a higher weight. Therefore, we come to this showdown with Bunema in the light middleweight division. Bunema is a name known to fans, but chiefly because he has appeared in losing efforts to such names as Jermain Taylor, Bronco McKart and Kassim Ouma. Bunema loses to world-class opposition, and while Phillips is certainly aging at forty-one years of age, he may still possess enough of that magical quality to grab himself the win.

On Friday, we shift our focus to the welterweight contest between Demetrius Hopkins and Norberto Bravo. Hopkins, in accordance with his famous relative, undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, has a foreboding ring alias. Hopkins the elder holds his reputation true as the “executioner,” and though he is undefeated thus far, we may see a performance from Demetrius Hopkins to justify his nickname of the “gladiator.”

When Saturday comes, so will a couple of middleweight matches of significance for different reasons. In France, the European middleweight title’s fate rests between Spain’s Jorge Sendra and former middleweight title challenger Morrade Hakkar. With only one loss, Sendra has a chance to leap over a final European level hurdle in Hakkar before perhaps qualifying for involvement in a world-class contest. Hakkar has two stoppage wins since his negative performance against Hopkins and must feel that he has something to prove since that undesirable showing.

Then of course, we will see this week’s feature bout between Fernando Vargas and Raymond Joval. Inactive due to several ailments, Vargas will look to make a statement to the bustling middleweight ranks that he is back and very much ready to do some serious business. Joval, having already fought stiff competition in the division has the disadvantage of not knowing the condition in which Vargas will return. If the hype is believable, this version of Vargas is a new and dangerous fighting machine; sentiments we have heard before, but perhaps Vargas, once so vital and precocious will be able to breathe new life into those words and add his unique brand of ferocity to the exciting middleweight mix in style.

On the same night, European light heavyweight champion Thomas Ulrich risks his standing against Englishman Matthew Barney. The fight takes place in Riesa, Germany where Ulrich enjoys home advantage. However, having already won the WBU light heavyweight title, Barney may not be fazed, and can take heart in the fact that Ulrich’s only defeat came through a stoppage, albeit at the hands of Glen Johnson.

What’s the difference between Ruslan Chagaev and Sherman Williams? Thirty pounds, an undefeated record and a mounting reputation as a leading heavyweight contender. Chagaev, known in boxing circles as the “White Tyson” knows how to beat journeyman heavyweights such as Williams, and Williams often obliges in losing efforts to promising contenders such as Chagaev, a happy coincidence? Obviously yes. Williams will not lay down voluntarily for the furnishing of Chagaev’s record, but that is only delayingthe inevitable.

The week’s major boxing action ends on Sunday in Australia where that countries’ IBF flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan defends his crown against Mzukisi Sikali of South Africa. The last ten years of Sikali’s career was spent among some of the best lighter weight fighters seen in recent years; he inflicted a brace of defeats upon the once highly regarded Masibulele Makepula and contested big fights against the likes of Pongsaklek Wonjongkam and “Baby” Jake Matlala. However, Darchinyan, the pintsized “Raging Bull,” does not believe in working any longer than necessary as demonstrated in his destructive title-winning performance against Irene Pacheco. We will see if Darchinyan can make a successful first defense of his title before his beloved home fans.

On the under-card, Lovemore N’Dou returns to action for the first time since his defeat to Englishman Junior Witter when he faces Jesar Arcajas and Nedal “Skinny” Hussein faces Bonani Hlwatika in an attempt to recover from his disappointing title loss last year to WBC super bantamweight champion Oscar Larios.

And that’s it for this week. Please remember to check back to the site for all the news and results of these fights, and for an in-depth look at the world’s boxing action each week, come to SaddoBoxing.com

Jim Cawkwell can be reached at jimcawkwell@yahoo.co.uk