One More Round With Mark Lyons: Dawson, Haye & Pacquiao/Cotto

Mark Lyons is back with his take on some recent and upcoming fights.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Another dominant, yet criticized performance from Chad Dawson (pictured right) and a farce of a PPV card on Friday night. There is a new alphabet title holder at Heavyweight and everyone is ready for the big one this weekend.

My Take on Last Weekend's Fights...

-- Chad Dawson may well be the best boxer in the world. While he remains unknown to the casual fan, he is becoming quite a polarizing figure in hard core boxing circles. He doesn’t hold and he doesn’t run, but most fans are always expecting and wanting more from him. Knocking out Glen Johnson is something that shouldn’t be expected of any fighter but that doesn’t stop people from complaining that he didn’t.

-- Dawson boxed beautifully from the outset, controlled the distance and peppered the Road Warrior with crisp jabs and body shots. Never once was he in any danger and I saw a resounding victory against a man that many thought beat him in their first fight. Color me impressed by not just his incredible skils, but his ability to adapt.

-- David Haye got the job done against the giant. But his bark was way louder than his bite in what was truly a dreadful fight. Hearing that he hurt his hand early makes his tactics more understandable, but it doesn’t give me back that thirty six minutes. With Ruiz on deck, Haye is in danger of another stinker and getting a reputation for engaging in boring fights. That wouldn’t really be fair after his thrilling Cruiserweight run, but like life, boxing is never really fair. Here is hoping he smashes Ruiz in style. But that is far easier said than done.

-- Yes, I watched the Judah/Casamayor card. The most entertaining moment was a ten minute interview with Erik Estrada by the way out of his element Michael Marley. Needless to say I didn’t agree with Marley about Judah’s low blow knockout being electrifying.

Looking Ahead To This Weekend...

-- Fight fans are buzzing for this Saturday night as Manny Pacquiao takes on Miguel Cotto at what I feel is a ridiculous catch weight. If the belt's on the line, the champ shouldn't have to weigh in 2 pounds under the division limit. That being said, it’s two of the best P4P fighters in the world and that is reason for excitement.

-- Cotto is a warrior and really is everything good about the sport. He seems to be stuck in a bizarre style transition where he isn’t sure if he is a boxer or a slugger. His only chance in this fight is to bore inside with almost reckless abandon and try to rough Manny up in close. I’m reading people talk about Miguel’s jab being a key and I don’t see him having any success with that punch. He needs to use it, but just as a means to get inside and not as a weapon. Body work is his key to victory.

-- Pacquiao, just has to be Pacquiao. Using his blazing speed of hand and foot to get there first and take advantage of Cotto’s shoddy footwork. Cotto is not capable of moving and punching at the same time, which is absolute hell against a guy like pacquiao who can change his angles in the blink of an eye. The only real question for me is how Manny will respond to a Welterweights punch, he hasn’t been hit by anybody since he left Jr. lightweight.

-- I see Pacquiao beating Cotto to the punch with his straight left hand from the opening bell. Cotto will score some here and there during some exciting exchanges but pacquaio will dominate this fight on the cards and bust up Miguel’s face en route to a mid to late round stoppage. I hope I’m wrong and the fight meets the world’s expectations. But I’m expecting another clinic from Mr. Pacquaio.

A Fight I’ve been Thinking About...

In lieu of Kelly Pavlik’s apparent desire to never stare across the ring at Paul Williams, lets look at a Middleweight that would relish the opportunity.The highly underrated and extremely rugged Mustapha Hamsho. While Paul has dealt with the pressure of a Margarito, Hamsho’s was of a different variety. His head was in your chest and he could smother Williams on the inside while Paul would enjoy a decided advantage at midrange and outside. In an exciting and bruising affair it will really come down to the judges preference. I’ll take two of three judges to reward Williams more aesthetically pleasing work and he gets a hard earned split nod in a fight that could go either way. One thing is for sure, it will go the distance and they both will almost certainly spill blood.

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Quick Predictions for Valuev-Haye and Dawson-Johnson

By Lee Payton

****Check out our round by round coverage of Johnson vs Dawson and Angulo vs Yorgey.****

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to see Valuev-Haye or Dawson Johnson. It's always a sad day when life decides that boxing is going to have to wait. As gutted as I am to miss a freakish heavyweight battle and a light heavyweight championship fight, I'm pressing on with some quick thoughts and predictions.

Here goes...

Valuev vs. Haye

Could these two men be more different? In Valuev we've got a soft-spoken giant. Haye is a vain loud-mouth who at least looks the part of a heavyweight champion. If this was a photo-shoot or a soap opera audition, the Brit comes out on top every time.

Boxing is no beauty contest though. Sometimes this sport is as ugly as it gets.

It might seem odd at first to say anyone has an edge in physicality when one fighter is 7'2, 315 lbs, but the smaller man has much more athletic ability, and I believe that is the key to him winning this fight.

Speed kills and Valuev has shown vulnerability against quicker fighters who are capable of showing him some movement. Haye should be able to switch angles on the outside and jump in with power shots before "Niko" can do anything about it.

If he's smart, Haye will fire his cannon ball fists to the ribs on the inside. With some significant work to the body, he just might bring his humongous foe to his knees.

I'll take Haye to win a wide decision. Valuev won't be able to find him with anything more than the occasional jab.


Dawson-Johnson

Will Glen Johnson ever get old? If it's going to happen, most fans feel that tonight is as good a night as any, because Chad Dawson is a speedy southpaw who can move. Typically, that's enough to beat a 40 year old man.

However, I don't buy into the "Glen is one year older and Chad is one year better" theory. The first reason is that I think the younger man is what he is. I don't see him changing anything in there. He'll do what he does.

Second, I don't think what Chad does was good enough to win the first time around. I saw the old timer push the fight for 12 rounds, while hurting his man a handful of times along the way. Glen Johnson knows what he has to do to win. He also knows that he can't be hurt by this man.

I think Johnson will be the more confident fighter tonight, based on his belief that he won the first time, and his sparring with Lucian Bute. He'll be up for this fight in a big way, and I just get the sense that the timing is right for him to pull off the upset.

I'll take Glen Johnson to win a close decision on the cards.

Check out Michael Nelson's Preview: Chad Dawson vs Glen Johnson II Preview

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One More Round With Mark Lyons: Haye/Valuev, Dawson/Johnson, Agbeko/Perez, Super Six, etc...

Mark Lyons is back with his take on some recent and upcoming fights.

After a couple of slow weeks we are heading into a great stretch of boxing. I’ll keep my comments brief on the Super 6, and will focus my thoughts on the two big fights coming up in what really is a fantastic month for combat sports.

My Take On Some Recent Fights...

-- Perez and Agebko put on a heck of a battle Saturday night. It wouldn’t make my list as a FOTY year candidate because it lacked some drama, but it was right on the cusp. Perez proved to be just a bit stronger and while I thought the fight was much closer than the final cards, the right man had his hand raised. Is it me, or is their an influx of bruising fighters entering the top level from South America?

-- Leave it to Boxing to institute instant replay to battle some controversy and completely ignore the ability to overturn what shouldn't be a knockdown. A three point swing in what most saw as a close fight isn’t worthy? Yes, I know, baby steps, but if something like that can't eventually be handled by replay, the system will never be of much use.

-- Last week's brawl between Ryan Rhodes and Jaimie Moore would make my short list of the year's best fights. I have to admit to becoming a Moore fan after his epic war with Macklin and I was a bit sad to see him lose before getting a shot at the world level. That being said, Rhodes story is a pretty remarkable one. This late career renaissance has been pretty special and I hope he gets the opportunity to challenge for world honors.

Super 6 thoughts……

-- I can’t say I was surprised by either result. Abraham was my favorite going into the tournament and nothing changed. I thought it was a dominant and brilliant performance. His style is frustrating at times, but incredibly effective. Winky Wright/George Foreman. while many dislike his cautious approach, he always tries to close the show in style when he doesn’t need to and I think that should be respected. Lost in his numbing power is one of the toughest defenses in the sport and a very underrated ring IQ. King Arthur knows what he is doing every second of every round.

-- I don’t have much good things to say about Froch/Dirrell. Andre had the skill to win, but not the will. His mid round performance was akin to watching a horny dog hump a leg, chair, table, etc… This was John Ruiz quality holding, but at least Ruiz had the excuse that he needed the tactic to compete. Dirrell on the other hand has a world of talent, which he showed in the 11th round when he sat down on his punches. But even then, he held Froch after clearly hurting him. I scored the fight for Dirrell by a point but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to see that kind of fighting go without reward. Maybe he will learn from it, but I’m expecting him to give us a Usain Bolt impression against Art.

Looking Ahead To This Weekend...

We have a rematch of fight more remembered for the scoring than the sizzling action, and David Haye finally gets the opportunity to walk the walk.

-- The first time Chad Dawson faced off against Glen Johnson I expected the veteran to give Chad his toughest fight but fall short to the young man's immense talent by a 8-4 type decision in a solid fight. The Road Warrior far exceeded that and it was one of the years better fights with far wider scores than should have been. Don’t ever accuse me of learning from previous errors, as I believe Dawson’s speed and resilience controls the action and gets through some rough spots for an 8-4 type decision on Saturday night. It should put to rest the outcry of robbery from the first fight. BTW, I scored that one a draw.

-- I’m not sure if it’s the sleep inducing boredom of watching Wladimir be the most reluctant knockout artist in the history of the ring or the lack of viable challengers to face his more willing brother, but I’m all in on David Haye. Yes I see the flaws, but I don’t care. He is entertaining in the ring and outside of it. If a 47yr old warlord legend was too fast of hand and foot for the lumbering giant sleeping pill that is Valuev, Haye should be able to land as he pleases. David will exhibit more smarts in there than people give him credit for, avoiding Valuev’s hugging, slamming home some hard body shots and becoming the first man to floor the Yeti with a blinding right hand. The winner by seventh round knockout and a much needed breath of fresh air... David Haye!

A Fight I’ve Been Thinking About...

-- Here is one between two rough and tumble HOF fighters that tend to get overlooked. How about Joel Casamayor vs Jeff Fenech at 130? Bruising inside action would be the main course for this evening. Jeff’s relentless pressure meets the Cuban's toughness and boxing skills. I think it would certainly have ugly moments, but there would be a ton of action and it's likely to end up a tight decision. Give me Fenech by split decision in a fight that neither man is hurt, with about ten swing rounds. Joel is once again outraged by the judges and if they do it ten more times, it’s ten more split nods.

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British Scene: Pound-For-Pound Top 15

Dave Oakes and Matt Chudley round off The Boxing Bulletin's preview of the upcoming British boxing season with their updated British Isles (Irish fighters are included) P4P Top 15 list.

There's been some movement since our last list, most notably Amir Khan jumping several spots, and the arrival in the top 15 of rising Welsh star, Nathan Cleverly (pictured landing a right hand on Danny McIntosh's jaw, photo © Justin McKie).

Make sure to check back in with us later in the week, as Dave and Matt will be back with previews of John O'Donnell vs Tom Glover and John Simpson vs Paul Truscott.

The Boxing Bulletin British Isles P4P Top 15 By Matt Chudley & Dave Oakes 1. Ricky Hatton Remains at no.1 on our list, mainly due to David Haye not fighting Nikolai Valuev until November, he may drop a place after that fight. Until then, he’s still got to be considered the best in Britain due to what he’s achieved in the past five years. It’s rumoured that he’ll make his return to the ring in March or April of next year, it’ll be interesting to see what he’s got left in the tank. - Dave Oakes 2. David Haye (vs Nikolay Valuev - Nov 7) After pulling out and opting out of fights with both Klitschko brothers, Haye now finds himself fighting 7 foot Russian Nicolai Valuev for the WBA strap on the 7th November in Germany. Should the south Londoner leave Germany with the trinket, he will be forced to defend against John Ruiz but will have greatly improved his future bargaining position against the Klitschkos. - Matt Chudley 3. Carl Froch (vs Andre Dirrell - October 17) The Cobra will defend his WBC super-middleweight title on October the 17th against unbeaten American Andre Dirrell in the opening round of Showtime's Super Six tournament. With fights against the divisions best assured over the next year, Froch could soon find himself on many full P4P lists. - Matt Chudley 4. Jamie Moore - up 2 (vs Ryan Rhodes - October 23) He jumps two places on our list due to the defeats of Witter and Woods. He’s already no.1 on the most exciting fighter list and is slowly climbing up this list. Moore looks to be the Brit most likely to capture a world title next year, but he must come through a hard test against Ryan Rhodes later this year before he sets his sights on world glory. - Dave Oakes 5. Clinton Woods (lost UD to Tavoris Cloud) He remains at 5 on our list despite his loss to Tavoris Cloud. Woods showed great heart in losing and regained the respect of the American fans that were less than impressed with his pitiful performance when losing his title to Antonio Tarver. The Sheffield man may decide to retire rather than fight again but he can leave the sport with his head held high after achieving far more than what people thought he would when he first turned pro. - Dave Oakes 6. Amir Khan - up 5 (won UD over Andriy Kotelnik) He’s become world champion by picking off the easiest target at light-welterweight. He boxed well against Kotelnik but questions must still remain about how he’ll cope when he’s put in with a decent fighter who can punch. Expect him to make a few easy defences arranged by the wily Mr Warren before stepping up to genuine world class. - Dave Oakes 7. Bernard Dunne (vs Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym - Sep 26) Well rested after his epic truimph against Ricardo Cordoba, Dunne will return on September 26th to make a first defense of his "Regular" WBA 122lb title against Thai Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym. The fight will take place in Dunne's hometown of Dublin, after Dunne's promoter Brian Peters won the purse bids with a minimum bid of $120,000. - Matt Chudley 8. Junior Witter - down 4 (lost to Devon Alexander - did not come out for 9th round) Witter drops down four places on our list after giving up 8 rounds into a WBC title fight with Devon Alexander. He once again faces a hard road back and with his akward style and limited marketability, he may need to get in line for British or European title fights if he is make another run at a world title. - Matt Chudley 9. Rendall Munroe - down 1 The usually busy Munroe has been taking a well deserved break after defeating Isaac Nettey on May 2. With the European scene already conquered, expect him to chase a world title next year. A possible match-up with Bernard Dunne would make sense if the Dublin successfully defends his title in September. - Dave Oakes 10. Ola Ofalabi - down 1 Out of action since his upset win over Enzo Maccarinelli back in March due to promotional and visa confusions, can now focus on his next opponent. Marco Huck recently dethroned Victor Ramirez to claim the full WBO cruiserweight, leaving interim champ Ofolabi expecting a December or January trip to Germany. - Matt Chudley 11. Nicky Cook - down 1 Inactive since losing his WBO super-featherweight title to Roman Martinez, Cook has taken some time out to recuperate before launching a new assualt on the 130lb division. With gym mate Kevin Mitchell out of the picture, a European title run might be in the offing in the near future. - Matt Chudley 12. Jason Booth (vs Michael Hunter - Oct 16) The reigning British super-bantamweight champion is enjoying an Indian summer to his career. It looked to be all over for him after losing to Damaen Kelly in December 2004; it took him two years to shift the demons that plagued him outside the ring before he returned to slowly rebuild his career. He’s gone unbeaten in his past six fights, five of which were for domestic titles. He fights former British and European champion Michael Hunter in October in what should be a really enjoyable fight for the fans. - Dave Oakes 13. Ian Napa (vs Gary Davis - Sep 11) Napa has decided not to move down a weight after losing his European bantamweight title in meek fashion against Malik Bouziane last time out. He now challenges British champion Gary Davis on September 11 in a fight he must win to keep his career at title level going. - Dave Oakes 14. Nathan Cleverly NEW (tko 7 over Danny McIntosh - Jul 19) The young Welsh light-heavyweight, impressively added the Lonsdale belt in stopping Danny McIntosh (check out Justin McKie's photo gallery of Cleverly vs McIntosh) over 7 one sided but entertaining rounds last time out. With little competition left on the domestic scene, it may now be time for Cleverly to make a run at the European title. He returns on the undercard of Sexton-Rogan 2 in October against an opponent to be announced. - Matt Chudley 15. Matthew Macklin (vs Amin Asikainen - September 25) The first marquee pro signed by Hatton promotions, Macklin opted out of an huge all British showdown with Darren Barker in favor of a fight for the vacant European title against Finn Amin Asikainen. Should Macklin come through, a big fight with Andy Lee in his ancestral home of Ireland could be in the offing. - Matt Chudley e-mail Matt Chudley e-mail Dave Oakes

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Early Thoughts on Bradley vs Campbell, Dawson vs Johnson 2, Marquez vs Mayweather, Klitschko-Haye...

By Lee Payton

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

Some very intriguing and significant fights have been made recently so I thought I'd touch on the ones that stick out to me. Here's my best guess as to how they will go down once the bell rings.

Can Campbell turn back the clock? Is Dawson all that? Does Marquez have a chance? Can Haye take down Big Brother?

Timothy Bradley vs Nate Campbell

It seems pretty clear on paper, doesn't it? Bradley has advantages in age, size and quickness. He's also a very good fighter, so he should take this thing, right? Not so fast. While "Dessert Storm" obviously has a lot going for him, the fighting grandfather has some weapons of his own. His favourite of those is a nasty right hand, which can be devastating up top or to body. He's also been around the block a time or two. The man flat out knows how to fight, and coming right to him, as I believe Bradley will, has not always turned out well for the opponent.

I think the keys to this fight for Bradley are head movement and punches in bunches. He showed that he's not exactly easy to nail clean even while pressing the fight against Kendall Holt. He keeps a tight, high guard and throws nice short punches on the inside. You need to only look at him to get a sense of his strength. Marvin Hagler would be impressed.

Can he hurt Nate? Probably not. Can Nate hurt him? He has to.

If Campbell can't put a dent in this kid, it's going to be a long night for the former Lightweight Champion.

I'm one of those guys who thinks size is a little overrated in boxing. Punchers don't lose their ability to punch because they added weight, as long as they are in or close to their prime years. They may lose something because they are hitting bigger guys, but most of the time when it seems like a fighter fell off after moving up a weight class, it has much more to do with the opponent than anything else. At this point, 140 is his weight.

Will Nate be able to get the KO he may need to win this fight? Well, he's hurt just about every fighter he has ever faced, so I see no reason to believe he can't make Bradley wince with a solid shot. That said, he's never really been a knockout artist, and if Tim has any trouble absorbing punishment it hasn't surfaced yet.

All things considered, I'm going to take Tim Bradley to walk through Hell on his way to a painful decision win. It should be a great fight.


Chad Dawson vs Glen Johnson II

When these two light heavyweights did battle in April 2008 most expected "Bad" Chad's amazing physical gifts to be too much for the 40 year old war horse. I guess no one told Glen that he was supposed to be content with collecting his final decent paycheck. He pushed young Dawson to the brink, forcing out all the inside stuff the young man never really needed up to that point in his pro career. Dawson grabbed the close decision that not everyone agreed with so they will do it again.

We might be looking at a replay of the first fight. Glen is still going to march forward. He'll still be hard-headed. And he'll still have the same arsenal that was responsible for tearing Dawson out of his comfort zone n the first fight. It's up to the man many call the future of pound-for-pound to make the kind of adjustments great champions are capable of.

That could mean stinking it out a little. Chad has the legs to move for 12, but the way he delivers his offense (bursts of punches at full speed) seems to take something away from his stamina. When he slows down that little bit in the second half, Johnson is going to give him no choice but to fight his ass off again.

I'll take Chad by another hard-fought 8-4. He'll get the win. That's about the best anyone can hope for when they fight "The Road Warrior".


Floyd Mayweather vs Juan Manuel Marquez

Call me crazy, but I am really looking forward to this fight. Forget about the difference in size. These guys don't fight in a way that depends on being the bigger man. Truthfully, even though Mayweather is called a welterweight, there would be a bigger (and more significant) size advantage if he were to fight Shane Mosley.

This fight isn't about weight, it's about two of the most skilled fighters of the last 10+ years going at it. Floyd has the edge on defense, while Marquez' accurate hands give him the offensive advantage.

We've been waiting years now for the great Juan Manuel Marquez to get old. Some will tell you the proof of his decline can be found in the amount of punches he has taken over the last 5 years. I personally think the wars have more to do with the massive step up in class he has taken during that time. When ya fight quality opponents, yer gonna get hit. This guy lives clean and is always in shape. I don't expect to see him fall off at all.

Mayweather is also a gym rat. He was sighted working out throughout his retirement from boxing, but the fact remains that he hasn't been under the lights in a very long time. There's bound to be some ring rust. As gifted as he is, I'm not sure anyone can afford to be even a little off against JMM's lethal attack. Based on all the ingredients I get the feeling that he's going to get touched up more than we've ever seen before.

I think it's a distance fight with "Money" getting a close decision. He'll probably win, but way more people will start believing in Pacquiao's chances against him.


Vitali Klitschko vs David Haye

When Haye dropped out against little brother, I was gutted for a week. Finally, Wlad was fighting someone with a chance. Unfortunately it was not to be. So now "The Hayemaker" is set to take on the bigger, tougher, older brother, who many feel is the real #1 heavyweight out there.

It is my opinion that this Klitschko is the more difficult assignment given that he can actually take a good shot to the mouth. What made the fight with Wlad so appealing was the knowledge that it could end on one punch either way. This fight appears to be a more grueling affair.

Vitali has had it easy since during his two fight comeback, having taken out hopeless Sam Peter and a chubby Juan Carlos Gomez. They could just never reach him. Those two played right into his strengths by slowly plodding forward all night while offering virtually nothing for the 6'7 Klitschko to worry about.

In his current opponent "Dr Ironfist" will be facing an physical dynamo who goes out to put on a violent show. This will be no athletic contest. It's gonna be a fight.

I believe Haye has the tools to do the job, but does he have the discipline to stick to a fight plan for as long as it takes? And how will his chin hold up? I think he's got to stay all the way outside and use his gifts to explode into punching range to have any chance. Bang that body in the clinch until the ref breaks it up. Vit will have no defense for such a tactic other than to hold or grapple. He's going to need focus more than anything in order to resist a slugfest.

It's a tough call. Haye's physical advantages stand him in good stead, but perhaps his whiskers will let him down in the end. I probably have to take Klitschko to gut it out somehow after a monumental struggle. Of course, we don't know how much he is willing to take these days either...

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British Scene: Pound 4 Pound Top 15

With no big fights on British television to preview this weekend, it's a good time for Matt Chudley to present The Boxing Bulletin's British Isles (we're including Irish fighters) pound for pound list.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

The regular fight previews edition of the British Scene will be back next week with a look at the Martin Rogan vs Sam Sexton Commonwealth heavyweight title bout.

The Boxing Bulletin British Isles P4P Top 15 By Matt Chudley 1. Ricky Hatton No shame in losing to the world's best fighter, and despite the crushing nature of that defeat, the Hitman will remain no.1 on this list - at least until the 20th of June. 2. David Haye After months of speculation the Hayemaker will now get his opportunity to take on the consesus top 2 heavyweights in his next three fights. Over 30,000 tickets where sold on the first day to his June clash with Wladimir Klitschko and a win and subsequent fight with Wlad's brother Vitali would really bring the division back to life. 3. Carl Froch Big opportunities are in store for the Cobra, after his dramatic come from behind knockout win over Jermain Taylor. Joe Calzaghe is staying put in retirement, but with names like Bernard Hopkins and Mikkel Kessler being thrown around as his next opponent, Froch could have a chance to climb even higher in the near future. 4. Junior Witter While producing a solid performance in his only outing since losing his WBC light-welterweight title to Tim Bradley, Witter has remained much less active than either he or promoter Mick Hennessey would like. He will likely stay on the sidelines as Hennessey continues to push for either a vacant interim or vacant full blown WBC title fight. 5. Clinton Woods The Sheffield man may well find himself fighting Tavoris Cloud for the vacant IBF light heavyweight title should Chad Dawson not, as speculated oblige mandatory challenger Cloud. Woods had also been linked with a rematch against Roy Jones, but Jones now looks to have decided upon fellow Floridian Jeff Lacy. 6. Jamie Moore The all action Salford fighter took care of his stay busy European title defense in style, stopping Roman Dzuman in two rounds on the British based leg of Hatton-Pacquaio undercard. After a stop-start last two years, Moore is finally building mometum towards a world title shot in the next year. 7. Bernard Dunne Following his dramatic win over Ricardo Cordoba last time out the Dubliner is reportedly involved in negotiations with comebacking Mexican superstar Israel Vasquez. A potential fight would take place in either Las Vegas or 82,000 seater home of Gaelic games, Croke Park during September. 8. Rendall Munroe Munroe added the Commonwealth belt to his European title on May 2nd with a unanimous decision over tough Issaac Nettey. The Leicester bin man seems to have consolidated his dominance in the European super-bantamweight scene and appears ready for world class opposition. Promoter Frank Maloney will continue to push for a fight with Irish rival Bernard Dunne. 9. Ola Olafabi Following his upset win over Enzo Maccarinelli last month the Californian based South Londoner remains stranded in the UK due to visa problems. Next up for Olafabi is Canadian southpaw Troy Ross, the latest winner of Contender TV series. The bout is scheduled for June 20, but no location has been set as of yet. 10. Nicky Cook Having started well Cook came apart at the seams in the 4th round of his first WBO title defense last month. He will continue to recuperate before launching a new assualt on the 130lb division with domestic dust-ups involving the likes of Ricky Burns and Stephen Foster Jr on the horizon. 11. Amir Khan When questioned previously on Steve Bunce's boxing hour Amir Khan described Andreas Kotelnik as the weakest world titleholder in the sport. In a surprising turn of evens Khan will now challenge Kotelnik in a one stop fight at 140lbs on June 27th, at the O2 Arena in London. 12. Jason Booth Booth jumps into the British P4P rankings after moving up two weight divisions on 11 days notice to claim the British super-bantamweight title. Booth had previously been scheduled to fight for the British superflyweight title but following pullouts moved up to add the 122lb title to his Commonwealth bantamweight strap. 13. Ian Napa Napa's short but impressive stint as European champ at 118lbs may have to an end but he seems far from finished in the sport. On the agenda next is a move back down to his more natural weights of either flyweight or super-fly. 14. Kevin Mitchell Following nearly a year of inactivity the Dagenham man now finds himself with the opportunity to fight for a world title and avenge the defeat of stablemate Nicky Cook. Guided by Nicky's father Paul, Mitchell will take on Roman Martinez at the O2 in July should he come through a tune-up on May 22nd at the York Hall. 15. Matthew Macklin Following a destructive win over Arthur Abraham victim Wayne Elcock (Boxing Bulletin photo gallery of Macklin/Elcock), British middleweight champ Macklin now finds himself right in the mix at 160lbs. With the lack of depth in the division as a whole, the exciting Brummie may only need a couple more fights to get into contention for a world title shot. e-mail Matt Chudley

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Early Thoughts on Klitchko vs Haye, Cotto vs Clottey & Darchinyan vs Agbeko

By Lee Payton

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

Boxing's competitive landscape remains fresh and exciting with three upcoming fights, featuring some of the sport's best.

David Haye had to sign a horrible contract, but he will finally get his mitts on Wladimir Klitschko (pictured right). In a battle of top Welterweights, Miguel Cotto is battling the very dangerous Josh Clottey, at Madison Square Garden. And Vic Darchinyan is facing off with a tough Bantamweight from Ghana, "King Kong" Agbeko.

Here's what I think we can expect when they climb into the ring...

Klitschko vs. Haye

The answer almost seems obvious, which is rare when you've got elite fighters going at it. Here you've got two men who can't take near what they dish. Either could end matters at any point.

The former Cruiserweight Champ from Britain sports a dazzling 22-1 (21) record, which demonstrates not only the explosive power in his fists, but also his lust for the knockout. He's an assassin. The one time he lost as a pro, was when someone could take the incoming without hitting the deck. Granite hard, Carl Thompson soaked up incredible punishment before knocking out the utterly gassed challenger a few years back.

It's the same job journeyman Ross Puritty pulled on Klitschko over 10 years ago. Since then Wlad has left a ton of men senseless on his way to a 52-3 (46) record. Recently, his vulnerability has mostly been tucked away intelligently by Manny Steward, who has preached patience and self-preservation since his arrival. To Wlad, winning comes first. The knockout usually just happens somewhere along the line.

And that difference in mentality should be the decider. In a race to the knockout, gimme the fighter on the attack.

Haye by early KO. Bring on Big Brother.

Cotto vs. Clottey

You've got the dynamic offensive sensation, with questionable whiskers against the steady, unspectacular counter puncher, who apparently can't be hurt. It's an intriguing clash of styles that is sure to bring the best out of both fighters.

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

Clottey (pictured left) has really only fought on this level once before, and in that fight he showcased a beautiful counter left hook, as well as a jaw of steel. We've never really seen him hurt before, but he's also never faced an attack like Miguel Cotto's.

Antonio Margarito had a damn good beard, and he took some massive shots before grinding the Puerto Rican down in 11 scintillating rounds, last year. While Clottey seems to have the same ability to soak up punishment, he doesn't apply that type of non-stop pressure. He's more likely to counter an attack from his high guard.

So who wins? In my opinion, that depends on Cotto. Many have been critical of the plan he used in the Margarito fight, but it could serve him very well against this guy. With some movement, he should be able to control the pace of the fight.

I've noticed that Clottey has a little bit of Winky Wright in him. When the opponent fires off a combination with quickness, he doesn't counter, but rather waits for them to finish, and then looks to respond. He also rarely counters with anything but his hook.

If Miguel is disciplined and well-conditioned enough to move a little, fire rapid combinations, and then get out of the way again, he gives himself his best chance to come out on top. I don't think he can win a head-to-head firefight.

Clottey will be there all night. And every time Cotto plants his feet to throw a hook with something on it, he'll be there with his own.

Cotto by gritty decision if he brings his wheels and a healthy fear. Clottey by TKO if Miguel gets too brave.

Darchinyan vs. Agbeko

Photo © Tim Barry / timbarry.wetpaint.com

Vic Darchinyan (pictured right) wants to test his mallet of a left hand against the toughest Bantamweights in the world. He could hardly have picked a tougher assignment than the scrappy Agbeko, who will be making a steep climb in competition.

Agbeko doesn't have the flair, power or mouth of his opponent, but he is a game competitor, who is very capable of the upset. In his last fight, he won a gutty majority decision over southpaw William Gonzalez, so he knows how to dig deep. To come out victorious in that kind of bruising affair is impressive on it's own, though I suspect he did so with a damaged left hand, because he didn't used it at all for long stretches during the fight.

Perhaps Darchinyan's people missed it, like the commentators and most fans. Maybe they assume this is a safe 118 lb debut because of how ordinary "King Kong" looked in the second half. That would be a big mistake. This guy can fight. Can he take Darchinyan's best? I'm not sure.

I'll gamble a little bit and take the slightly bigger man to rough Vic up, on his way to a close decision win. I think Agbeko's got the strength and courage to mess with the outside rhythm that Darchinyan depends on.

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