Weekend Preview: Peter continues comeback
Posted Mar. 11, 2010 at 09:55pm
By RingTV.com Editors
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FRIDAY
HERNAN MARQUEZ vs. RICHIE MEPRANUM
Rounds / weight class: 12 rounds / junior bantamweights
Location: Grapevine (near Dallas), Texas
Television: Fox Sports Net/Fox Sports en Espanol
The backdrop: Mexico‘s popular “Tyson” Marquez (27-0, 20 knockouts) is an entertaining pressure fighter with heavy hands but the 21-year-old southpaw does not punch like his nickname and should be tested by light-punching but always game Mempranum (16-2-1, 3 KOs), who went the distance with former flyweight beltholder Denkaosan Kaovichit in 2007, before the seasoned Japan-based Thailand native won a 112-pound title.
Also fighting: Samuel Peter vs. Nagy Aguilar, 12 rounds, heavyweights
Rating the card: B. This show should be fun. Marquez-Mempranum is a good matchup on paper, and the Peter-Aguilar fight is an elimination bout for one of the belts. Former titleholder Peter (33-3, 26 KOs) is finally fighting a heavyweight with a pulse since his one-sided loss to Vitali Klitschko. Aguilera (15-2, 10 KOs), a young Dominican who is really just a prospect, is coming off a one-round blowout of faded Oleg Maskaev in December. Undefeated lightweight contender Anthony Peterson is on the undercard.
SATURDAY
MANNY PACQUIAO vs. JOSHUA CLOTTEY
Rounds / weight class: 12 rounds / welterweights
Location: Arlington, Texas
Television: HBO Pay-Per-View
The backdrop: THE RING‘s No. 1-rated welterweight is defending his 147-pound title against the magazine‘s No. 5-rated welterweight before 45,000 fans in Cowboys Stadium.
Also fighting: Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz, 12 rounds, lightweights
Rating the card: B. It says something when the venue of a fight outshines the actual main event matchup, but Clottey should provide an honest challenge to Pacquiao and might even extend the dynamic Filipino icon the 12-round distance. The Soto-Diaz matchup will be an action fight between an aging former 135-pound beltholder and a former 130-pound titleholder for a vacant lightweight belt. Both fighters are coming off decision victories over a shopworn Jesus Chavez and have frankly seen better days. Welterweight fringe contender Alfonzo Gomez will take on badly faded former lightweight champ Jose Luis Castillo on the televised undercard.
HERNAN MARQUEZ vs. RICHIE MEPRANUM
Rounds / weight class: 12 rounds / junior bantamweights
Location: Grapevine (near Dallas), Texas
Television: Fox Sports Net/Fox Sports en Espanol
The backdrop: Mexico‘s popular “Tyson” Marquez (27-0, 20 knockouts) is an entertaining pressure fighter with heavy hands but the 21-year-old southpaw does not punch like his nickname and should be tested by light-punching but always game Mempranum (16-2-1, 3 KOs), who went the distance with former flyweight beltholder Denkaosan Kaovichit in 2007, before the seasoned Japan-based Thailand native won a 112-pound title.
Also fighting: Samuel Peter vs. Nagy Aguilar, 12 rounds, heavyweights
Rating the card: B. This show should be fun. Marquez-Mempranum is a good matchup on paper, and the Peter-Aguilar fight is an elimination bout for one of the belts. Former titleholder Peter (33-3, 26 KOs) is finally fighting a heavyweight with a pulse since his one-sided loss to Vitali Klitschko. Aguilera (15-2, 10 KOs), a young Dominican who is really just a prospect, is coming off a one-round blowout of faded Oleg Maskaev in December. Undefeated lightweight contender Anthony Peterson is on the undercard.
SATURDAY
MANNY PACQUIAO vs. JOSHUA CLOTTEY
Rounds / weight class: 12 rounds / welterweights
Location: Arlington, Texas
Television: HBO Pay-Per-View
The backdrop: THE RING‘s No. 1-rated welterweight is defending his 147-pound title against the magazine‘s No. 5-rated welterweight before 45,000 fans in Cowboys Stadium.
Also fighting: Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz, 12 rounds, lightweights
Rating the card: B. It says something when the venue of a fight outshines the actual main event matchup, but Clottey should provide an honest challenge to Pacquiao and might even extend the dynamic Filipino icon the 12-round distance. The Soto-Diaz matchup will be an action fight between an aging former 135-pound beltholder and a former 130-pound titleholder for a vacant lightweight belt. Both fighters are coming off decision victories over a shopworn Jesus Chavez and have frankly seen better days. Welterweight fringe contender Alfonzo Gomez will take on badly faded former lightweight champ Jose Luis Castillo on the televised undercard.
