Typically, when a boxer moves up in weight the process can be described as waiting for molasses to dry, but in the case of Pacquiao a better description could be a rollercoaster ride. Before the Philippine sensation won world titles in seven different weight classes, in May of 1995 he made is professional debut at the straw-thin weight of 106lbs. In fact, Pacquiao has been knocked out twice by fighters weighing at or less than 112 pounds. In March of 2005, Pacquiao moved up to the 130lb. weight division and lost a 12-round decision Erik Morales. The loss certainly did not derail the pound-for-pound kingpin, but it was the first time in his career broke the 130 pounds and he did not eclipse the 140 mark until June of 2008.

Currently, as a welterweight, Pacquiao is considered a small fighter, only standing 5’ 6 1/2’’ and having a reach of 67’’. In fact, Bob Arum, who is Pacquiao’s promoter, typically attempts to either negotiate a catch weight or severe penalties for fighters not making the negotiated weight. In his WBO welterweight title fight against Miguel Cotto, Bob Arum successfully negotiated a catch weight of 145 pounds and in the proposed March 13 clash with Mayweather, Arum is seeking a ten-million dollar penalty for each pound that Mayweather comes in over the 147 pound limit. Even though Pacquiao had a suspect chin early in his career, it appears that allowing his body to fill out and gain muscle mass has increased his ability to absorb punches from larger fighters.

For Mayweather, winning world titles in six different weight classes has happened at a more methodical or “standard” fashion. In October of 1996, Mayweather made his professional debut in the 130 pound division and did not weigh in over 140 pounds until 2004. In his 2007 fight with Oscar De La Hoya, Mayweather reached his weight limit as a professional, weighing in at 150 pounds, four pounds under the light middleweight limit. As an undefeated fighter, the self-proclaimed “pretty boy” obviously has never been knocked out. However, some argue that he suffered a flash knockdown in his bout against Zab Judah although referee Richard Steele did not see Mayweather’s glove touch the canvas. For now, it seems that Mayweather is able to absorb punches from larger, more powerful fighters.

It is apparent that if the two fighters were in the same room the vast majority of boxing experts would consider Mayweather the bigger man; however, both fighters have physical attributes that allow them to move up in weight and win bouts against larger fighters. Pacquiao’s physique is that of a short, stout boxer who is able to absorb powerful punches. What makes the Pacman a gifted athlete is while putting on weight, he is able to increase his punching power and keep his natural hand speed. Considering the fact that Pacquiao is fighting larger men and has a big disadvantage in reach, being able to counter and close the punching gap with larger fighters is the key to victory. Also worth mentioning is the fact that Pacquiao’s knockout percentage has remained amazingly consistent throughout his career. Pacquiao has a career knockout percentage of a shade over 69%, while over his last ten fights, most of which are in higher weight classes, Pacquiao’s knockout percentage only falls slightly to 60%.

Mayweather, on the other hand, is winning fights by utilizing physical attributes that are the opposite of Pacquiao. When reviewing pure statistics, Mayweather is the larger fighter, standing 5’8, with a 72’’ reach, weighing in at a higher career weight (150lbs) and has been fighting in welterweight and light middleweight classes for a longer period of time. Mayweather boasts a career knockout percentage of 62%, however in his last ten fights his knockout percentage has dropped to 40%. It is clear that while gaining weight, Mayweather has been utilizing his speed and pure boxing skills, which includes being arguable one of the best defensive fighters of all-time to win bouts.

After analyzing the physical size of these two great fighters, the question can be answered:  Who is naturally the bigger man? The answer is obvious, Mayweather is naturally the larger individual, but what does that actually mean? Well, for one, if these two fighters were ever able to meet the fight would come down to the natural boxer with great defensive skills, who also holds a five inch reach advantage, against the powerful and persistent Pacquiao.

The legacy of Manny Pacquiao has yet to be determined. Will he be remembered as pound for pound one of the greatest fighters in boxing history or for his lavish life style? One thing is certain, the Filipino sensation covets the bright lights, whether it’s winning championships in seven different weight classes, traveling with a giant entourage, being on the cover of Time Magazine or having aspirations of becoming President of the Philippines.

The great mathematician Democritus once stated: “I would rather discover one scientific fact than become King of Persia.” I sadly, but admittedly, will never become the King of Persia or President of the Philippines, but after analyzing Pacquiao’s boxing career one fact becomes apparent – a statistically significant argument can be made that the current pound-for-pound kingpin is either slightly overrated or his opponents have been strategically selected.

One fact that cannot be argued is on average Manny Pacquiao has been fighting opponents that are considerably older, have been recently defeated or are statistically proven to be on the decline. Since his last loss, Pacquiao, 30, has gone on an eleven fight winning streak, with his opponent’s average age being 31. During the winning streak, Pacquiao’s average age at the time each respective bout took place was 28. A three year age advantage may seem minute, but boxers that have consistent success in the lower weight classes typically have tremendous speed. Pacquiao is known for, and does have world-class speed in his repertoire, but does consistently fighting opponents in their early 30’s help protect and even boost his speed advantage?

In addition to an age advantage, statistics prove that Pacquiao has been fighting opponents that have been recently defeated or are on the decline. During his present winning streak, the average winning percentage of Pacquiao’s opponents throughout their entire career is an impressive 94%. However, when further analyzing the data it becomes apparent that the average winning percentage of Pacquiao’s opponents during the five fights leading up to the their respective bout declines to 84% and the average winning percentage of his opponents after their bout took place, not including the loss to Pacquiao, drops to a measly 67%. Considering the data at hand, can the argument be made that Pacquiao is consistently fighting opponents that are older, statistically on the decline and have been recently defeated?

Attacking Pacquiao’s opponents is a logical choice to the argument that he is overrated. Why hasn’t the score been settled with a game and willing Juan Manuel Marquez? Why did Pacquiao fight a recently defeated and in some cases “over-the-hill” Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya and Marco Antonio Barrera?

Insiders within the sport will profoundly point out that tougher match-ups exist for Pacquiao, such as Shane Mosley or the much younger Andre Berto. Rumors are swirling that Arum and Pacquiao are even interested in moving up to the 154lb division in an attempt to become an eight division world champion. Pacquiao’s opponent of choice in this dangerous move: of course, the unheralded Yuri Foreman. If Pacquiao wants a challenge, how does a David versus Goliath match-up with the giant Paul Williams sound?

On average Manny Pacquiao’s opponents are older, on the decline or carefully selected – certainly. However, what does that really mean? Pacquiao cannot control that his competition are fighting other champions or top contenders, hence the losses, or that Bob Arum is thinking about money, his fighters legacy, and money again when deliberating on his next bout. One thing is certain, Pacquiao is a great fighter and the only outstanding item worth deliberating is where the Filipino phenom ranks versus the legends of boxing?

Presumably, on January 11^th, two fighters will be in New York City to announce a mega fight that will take place on March 13 of 2010 and will not only settle the score of who is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world today, but where Pacquiao, and even Floyd Mayweather’s, rightful ranks is among the legends of the sport of boxing. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao would be one of the biggest fights of the last 25 years, undoubtedly.

So is Manny Pacquiao overrated? You can decide for yourself. Keep checking in with ProBoxing-Fans.com for all of the news regarding the potential Pacquiao vs. Mayweather super fight.

Image Credit: Mike Gonzalez/Creative Commons 3.0 License

Roy Jones Jr.

Age: 40

Height: 5’11’’

Record - Overall:  54-5, 40 KO

Record Last Ten:  6-4, 1 KO

Record Last Five:  4-1, 1 KO

Notable Wins:  Bernard Hopkins, James Toney, Virgil Hill, Clinton Woods, John Ruiz, Antonio Tarver, Felix Trinidad, Jeff Lacy

When Roy Jones Jr. finally decides to hand up the gloves, he will go down in boxing history as one of the best fighters of all-time. Jones has captured world titles in four different weight classes, ranging from middleweight to the heavyweight division. After successfully wining two consecutive “mega fights” against Bernard Hopkins and James Toney, Jones was named “Fighter of the Decade" for the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Until his loss against Antonio Tarver in 2004, Jones had tremendous success as a boxer with an unorthodox fighting style. Jones had very little technical skill and relied on the god-given gift of world-class speed and quickness. Many boxing experts and fighters, including Roy Jones, describe his opponents as fighting in slow motion when compared to Jones. For a decade, not only did Jones go undefeated but lost only a handful of rounds.

In 2004, the shot that was heard around the world exposed an aging fighter and forced Jones to change his fighting style. Antonio Tarver shocked the world when he knocked out Roy Jones; however, the punch was a text book left hook and if Jones had been using a proper defensive technique the punch would have never landed. At 34, Jones was relying on his speed and quickness that had been eroding over the years and subsequently left him open for a big punch. Even after three consecutive defeats, Jones went back to the gym and used a combination of what speed he had left and newly found boxing skills to push his career into his 40’s.

Bernard Hopkins:

Age: 44

Height: 6’1’’

Record - Overall:  49-5, 32 KO

Record Last Ten:  7-3, 1 KO

Record Last Five:  3-2, 1 KO

Notable Wins: Glen Johnson, Antwun Echols, Felix Trinidad, William Joppy, Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver, Ronald Wright, Kelly Pavlik

Like Jones, when Hopkins decides to stop fighting he will take his rightful place in the boxing hall of fame. Hopkins is known for his incredible 10 year reign as the middleweight champion and in contrast to Jones, Hopkins' boxing style has not significantly changed over the years. Hopkins is known as a pure technical fighter and being arguably one of the top defensive fighters in the history of boxing. Hopkins began to show his age when he entered the ring against a younger, more athletic Jermain Taylor.

Roy Jones vs. Bernard Hopkins II

In the first matchup, Jones was able to consistently beat Hopkins to the punch with superior quickness. Even though Hopkins was the better technical and defensive fighter, Jones’ speed proved too much to overcome.

If Jones and Hopkins fight in 2011, the fight will be much different than the first. Hopkins is essentially the same fighter; except his natural ability has eroded due to his age. Jones, however, is a much different fighter and will not be able to win the fight on pure atheism. The deciding factor in the second fight will be 1) can Jones outbox Hopkins and 2) will Hopkins have his way with Jones now that he can hit him.

There is no question that the Klitschko Brothers are the two dominate fighters in a weak heavyweight era. In a two part series, Pro Boxing Fans identifies what type of fighter matches up well with the Klitschko’s and explores the technical side to devising a strategy for defeating each of the Ukrainian giants. (See part I: How to Beat a Klitschko: Vitali)

Wladimir Klitschko

Record:  53-3, 47 KOs

Height:  6’6 ½’’

Reach:  81’’

Notable Wins:  Chris Byrd (twice), Samuel Peter, Calvin Brock, Lamon Brewster, Sultan Ibragimov, Hasim Rahman, Ruslan Chagaev

Fighting Style

The “hardcore” boxing fan would know as well as I do that Wladimir’s fighting style has morphed over the years, from a somewhat exciting style to the boring style equivalent to former champion Lennix Lewis. Why has this change occurred? Well, the fighting style shared by both fighters can be traced back to one man, Emanuel Steward. Under the tutelage of legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, Klitschko has learned to use his unprecedented combination of size, speed and athleticism to develop a simple, but highly effective fighting style.

The 6’6 ½’’ 245lb heavyweight uses the top jab among the current heavyweights to control his opponents and set up thunderous straight-right hands and sneaky, but powerful left hook. “Foot speed… He can move in, explode, move out, move back in, explode, and I’ve never seen anyone that could…move in and out and be in perfect balance,” Emanuel Steward explained.

Again, similar to Lennox, Wladimir chooses to methodically break down his opponents while using underrated footwork and defensive skills to control ring generalship and stay away from the heavy hands of his challengers. Wladimir is able to use footwork to keep his opponents at the end of his powerful punches and mitigate the scoring opportunities of fighters when they press forward by using effective, but underrated side stepping techniques that Emanuel Steward also taught to his brother, Vitali, and Lennix Lewis.

Below is a break down of Wladimir’s strengths and weaknesses:

Strength: experience, ring generalship, jab, punching power and repertoire

Underestimated Strengths: footwork, technique

Weaknesses: Stamina, chin and exposed body

How to beat Wladimir Klitschko

The fight plan to defeat Wladimir Klitschko has already been discovered. To date, Klitschko has yet to prove that he can win a bout fighting outside of his comfort zone. Wladimir lives and dies by throwing a highly effective jab, powerful straight right and a sneaky left hook, all while conserving energy. If a fighter is going to defeat Wladimir, he will have to apply consistent pressure, pushing Wladimir back and he will need to have the power to score damaging blows when given the chance.

In order to consistently score against Wladimir, a fighter will need the technical skills to close the gap and the strength to stop Wladimir from side-stepping, clenching or pushing his opponents away. The aforementioned skill set could put a fighter within striking range to take advantage for Wladimir’s weakness of not being able to fight going backwards, his habit of dropping his hands and being open for a big punch, being taken out of his game plan and suspect conditioning.

Also, the champion has a glaring weakness of allowing his body to be exposed. To date, the only fighter that attacked the body was Calvin Brock, who was leading the fight on all score cards before being knocked out. Wladimir’s technical skills, power punching, impressive physical presence and methodical way of breaking down opponents is evident when comparing him to today’s top heavyweights; however, merely a big heart and punch could lead to a victory against the Ukrainian on any given Saturday night.

Below is a list of more commonly known fighters (new and old) and how they stack up against Wladimir. These lists are certainly up for debate, but keep in mind it is assumed that Wladimir is being compared to each fighter in their prime and the long-standing point that “styles make fights” comes into serious play:

Fighters that would defeat Wladimir:

Muhammad Ali, George Forman, Joe Louis, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield, Vitali Klitschko

Fighters that are even with Wladimir:

Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis

Fighters that could upset Wladimir:

Floyd Patterson, Max Schmeling, David Haye

Do any of today's heavyweights have what it takes to follow the blueprint to topple Wlad? The next year or two will reveal whether the likes of Eddie Chambers or Alexander Povetkin has what it takes.

Image Credit: Pavel Terekhov

There is no question that the Klitschko Brothers are the two dominant fighters in a weak heavyweight era. In a two part series, Pro Boxing Fans identifies what type of fighter matches up well with the Klitschko’s and explores the technical side to devising a strategy for defeating each of the Ukrainian giants.

Vitali Klitschko

Fighting Style

Vitali Klitschko’s fighting style is as straight forward as you can get. Vitali uses his size and reach advantage to methodically break down his opponents and score mid-to-late round stoppages. Vitali is the prime example of a fighter being underestimated. While judging fights at ringside, I have seen countless fight plans fail due to a boxer’s skill level not being properly evaluated.

Even though the general public would view Vitali Klitschko as “clumsy” or “goofy,” his fighting style is predicated on using a small amount of technical skills in order to put himself into a position to utilize his physical attributes as an advantage. Below is a break down of Vitali’s strengths and weaknesses:

• Strength: experience, ring generalship, jab, punching power and stamina
• Underestimated Strengths: footwork, keeping proper distance and punching angles
• Weaknesses: overall speed, form (slouching over), hand position and exchanging

How to beat Vitali Klitschko

In order to defeat Vitali Klitschko, a fighter will have to utilize above average technical skills and have the heart to provide relentless pressure. Vitali is able to use footwork to keep his opponents at the end of his powerful punches and mitigate the scoring opportunities of fighters when they press forward by using effective, but underrated side stepping techniques.

In order to consistently score against Vitali, a fighter will need the technical skills to close the gap and the strength to stop Vitali from side-stepping, clenching or pushing his opponents away. The aforementioned skill set could put a fighter within striking range to take advantage for Vitali’s habit to slouch forward, average hand speed and the fact that he is willing to exchange.

Outside of the most skilled heavyweights of all-time, such as Muhammad Ali, a fighter using this strategy will need a strong chin and big heart to endure the punishment that Vitali could unleash on a fighter with a plan to continuously apply pressure. No one can argue with the fact that Vitali does a good job keeping his distance, has long arms, punches from unusual angles, has a good chin and has a big heart.

Some would argue that the heavyweight most likely to defeat Vitali fighting today would be his brother, Wladimir. On paper, Wladimir appears to have what it takes to defeat Vitali, which includes technical skills, a big punch and the size and strength necessary to control ring generalship. However, would Wladimir crumble after eating some of Vitali’s hard shots, presumably some that he didn’t see coming from unusual angles? I think the question speaks for itself.

Below is a list of more commonly known fighters and how they stack up against Vitali. These lists are certainly up for debate, but keep in mind it is assumed that Vitali is being compared to each fighter in their prime:

Fighters that would defeat Vitali:

Muhammad Ali, George Forman, Joe Louis, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Sonny Liston Mike Tyson

Fighters that are even with Vitali:

Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield

Fighters that could upset Vitali:

Floyd Patterson, Max Schmeling, Wladimir Klitschko, Eddie Chambers

As always, tune into Pro Boxing Fans to review columns from the best boxing writers on the web. And be sure to check back for Part II in the How to Beat a Klitschko Series: Wladimir.

Image Credit: Mike Boehm/Pro Boxing Fans

Klitschko exploded onto the seen and earned worldwide notoriety by dominating the 1996 Olympic Games, where he won a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division. Since turning professional, the Ukrainian giant has accumulated a record of 53-3, including 47 wins coming by the way of knockout, all while fighting top competition. Currently, Klitschko holds the IBO, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine world heavyweight titles and has not lost a bout in nearly five years.

Under the tutelage of legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, Klitschko has learned to use his unprecedented combination of size, speed and athleticism to develop a simple, but highly effective fighting style. The 6’6 ½’’ 245lb heavyweight uses the top jab among the current heavyweights to control his opponents and set up thunderous straight-right hands and sneaky, but powerful left hooks. “Foot Speed. He can move in, explode, move out, move back in, explode, and I’ve never seen anyone that could…move in and out and be in perfect balance,” Emanuel Steward explained. Klitschko has earned the nickname “Dr. Steel Hammer” by having one of the hardest punches in boxing today and by earning a PhD in sports science.

After studying several of the “top 10” heavyweights of all time lists, it appears that Klitschko would be both a favorite and underdog if pitted against certain legendary fighters.

Dream Bouts

Klitschko vs. Mike Tyson: A bout between the pre-Buster Douglas Tyson and Klitschko would be a clear mismatch. Even though he measures in at less than six feet tall, Tyson would use his superior head and upper-body movement to move inside of Klitschko’s jab and land his trade mark uppercuts. Prediction: Tyson via third round KO.

Klitschko vs. Muhammad Ali: Perhaps the most interesting match up of all would pit Ali against Klitschko. This bout would play out similar to the famous rumble in the jungle. Ali would out box the more powerful fighter, occasionally taking hard shots, but wearing down the bigger man over the course of the fight. Prediction: Ali via tenth round KO.

Klitschko vs. Larry Holmes: The most technical bout would be between Klitschko and Homes. Both fighters would try to set the pace with highly effective jabs, while throwing the occasional right hand. Klitschko would use a slight punching power advantage, quicker feet and a larger repertoire (left hook) to outpoint the dangerous Holmes.  Prediction:  Klitschko by unanimous decision.

Klitschko vs. Evander Holyfield: A fight between Klitschko and Holyfield would be fast pace, high action bout.  Holyfield would press Klischko, forcing the bigger man into exchanges and possibly causing a cut. In the end, Holyfield would be a victim of a big right and from the Ukrainian. Prediction: Klitschko via sixth round KO

Analysis

So the question has not been answered – just how good is Wladimir Klitschko?  Well, when all else fails why not let one of the best trainers of all time weigh in: “Wladimir’s becoming a complete fighter,” explained Steward. “Wladimir is gonna be the one I don’t think I could train a man to beat the way he is. I’m serious. I’ve never had a fighter – I went from Holyfield and all the guys I’ve worked with, never, Lennox – (Wladimir) is a very, very committed, very difficult fighter to beat. Because he won’t let you fight him. He makes you fight what he wants you to fight. But the biggest thing which I think people are not looking at is his speed for a big man. Tremendous speed.” Steward, meanwhile, insists that the huge Ukrainian's "next three fights will define him as a great heavyweight champion. Wladimir is close to Lennox.”

Obviously Emanuel Steward has a slightly biased opinion. With that being said, it's not out of the question that Wladimir Klitschko will be considered one of the 10-15 best heavyweights of all time when his career is over. If Klitschko can win 3-5 more fights against notable foes, such as David Haye, Nikolai Valuev, Alexander Dimitrenko, Eddie Chambers, Odlanier Solis or Chris Arreola, he could retire roughly 60-3, as the unified heavyweight champion and with an unbeaten streak of six or seven years.

How to Properly Score a Round:

In the ten-point must system judges score each round based on the following three criteria:

• Clean Punches: A clean, forceful hit, landed on any vulnerable part of the body above the belt should be credited in proportion to its damaging effect.
• Effective Aggressiveness: Who sustains the action of a round by the greatest number of skillful attacks?
• Ring Generalship: The ability to quickly grasp and take advantage of every opportunity offered, the capacity to cope with all kinds of situations which may arise; to foresee and neutralize an opponent’s method of attack; to force an opponent to adopt a style of boxing at which he is not particularly skillful.

The Judge's Score Card:

Explanation:

The Diaz-Malignaggi fight is a classic example of a fight that is easy to score by the trained eye, but the subsequent results may be confusing to the casual boxing fan. As predicted in the preview and prediction article, Malignaggi attempted to use his effective boxing skills to keep Diaz at bay, while looking to score clean punches and using ring generalship to force Diaz into a traditional boxing match.

From the sound of the bell, Diaz was able to effectively use ring generalship to force Malignaggi to fight in a style more accustom to Diaz. Diaz consistently pushed the action, was the effective aggressor and clearly landed more clean punches that had a damaging effect.

What does the Data Reveal:

The data available from the fight confirms the judge’s decision. Although the total number of punches landed by each fighter was close, Diaz landed 123 power punches to only 80 for Malignaggi. With Malignaggi only having five career knockouts, the clean, harder punches were clearly being landed by Diaz.

On September 26, the powerful Vitali “Dr. Ironfist” Klitschko will defend his WBC heavyweight title against the hard hitting and No. 1 ranked challenger Chris Arreola at the famous Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Klitschko vs Arreola – Meet the Fighters

Klitschko vs. Arreola Preview:

Fresh off an unsuccessful run for the mayor of Kiev and for the Ukrainian parliament, the 38 year-old Klitschko used his “Champion Emeritus” status to secure a title shot and subsequently destroy then WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter. Klitschko then defended his title against over-matched mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Gomez in March of this year.

Arreola, 28, is a rare Mexican-American heavyweight contender and has benefited from a marketing push by HBO, which will televise the fight live. Arreola will enter the ring with an imposing undefeated record, which has come against not so impressive fringe contenders, such as Damian Wills, Chazz Witherspoon, Thomas Hayes, Travis Walker and four-time title challenger Jameel McCline.

Klitschko vs. Arreola Prediction:

Unless the 38 year-old Klitschko grows old over night, Arreola seems to be in for a long evening. Klitschko should be able to use his considerable height and reach advantage to keep the powerful Arreola at bay and land sharp, bone rattling combinations.

Arreola is a skilled big man and will have his moments, occasionally throwing powerful combinations and pushing Klitschko back, while electrifying the crowd. Arreola, like many fighters that face Klitschko, will become discouraged as the fight advances into the championship rounds.

Prediction: Klitschko over Arreola via 9th round KO

As always, after the Klitschko vs. Arreola fight is over return to ProBoxing-fans.com to review post fight analysis from the best boxing writers on the web. We will be featuring live Klitschko vs. Arreola results here on the site.

Image Credit: Pavel Terekhov

Diaz vs. Malignaggi Preview:

In the main event, Houston native and recent University of Houston graduate, Juan Diaz looks to jump back into the title picture after dropping two out of the last three bouts. The seasoned 25-year-old Diaz won a lightweight title 2004 and subsequently defended his title eight consecutive times, including a unification bout with Julio Diaz. His first professional loss came at the hands of Nate Campbell and two fights later Diaz suffered a TKO loss to one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world, Juan Manuel Marquez.

Malignaggi, 28, used his pure boxing skills to win the IBF light welterweight title by defeating Lovemore N’dou in 2007. Malignaggi successfully defended his title twice before losing by TKO to Ricky Hatton in November of 2008.

Diaz vs. Malignaggi Prediction:

In what appears to be an even matchup, both fighters are coming off recent losses and appear to be at a crossroad in their respective careers. The winner will be back in the title picture, while the loser will take the dreaded two steps backward.

The pace of the fight will be fast and at some times fierce, with the taller and better boxer Malignaggi trying to use his natural boxing skills to hold off the aggressive Diaz. Malignaggi, who only has five career knockouts, does not have the punching power to stop Diaz from coming straight forward. Diaz will impress the judges by consistently being the effective aggressor and landing harder shots through sporadic flurries.

Prediction: Diaz by decision (it will be close, possibly a split decision)

Klassen vs. Guerrero Preview:

The co-main even features a title bout between South African Malcolm Klassen and California native Robert Guerrero. Klassen, who is a ten year veteran, was a relatively unknown until he defeated fellow South African Cassius Baloyi to win the IBF super featherweight championship.

The challenger is hard-hitting Robert Guerrero, who is a former two-time world featherweight champion and is moving up in weight to challenge Klassen.

Klassen vs. Guerrero Prediction:

The co-main even is an interesting bout between the relatively unknown Klassen and the battle tested Guerrero. Several questions will be answered after this fight is over: Is Klassen a world class fighter and legitimate champion? Will Guerrero be able to move up in weight and secure a mega fight with the likes of Manny Pacquiao or Juan Manuel Marquez?

Klassen appears to be an all around solid fighter with above average punching power. Guerrero, on the other hand, has been in with better completion and appears to be on a mission to regain a world tile. With that being said, the bout should be a crowd pleasing brawl with multiple knockdowns.

Prediction: Guerrero via seventh round KO

Jacobs vs. Smith Preview:

The opening bout of the evening features rising super middleweight prospect Danny Jacobs (17-0, 15 KOs) facing off against veteran Ishe Smith (21-3, 9 KOs). Jacobs, 22, has impressed the boxing community with his devastating punching power, which has led to nine of his 15 KOs coming in the first round. The more experienced Smith, 31, recently appeared on the boxing reality show “The Contender” and hopes to be more than a step up in competition for the talented Jacobs.

Jacobs vs. Smith Prediction:

Rising prospect Danny Jacobs will grow up in this matchup against Ishe Smith. Smith will put up a brief fight, making things difficult for the rising prospect, but Jacobs is flat out too talented to be stopped in this bout.

Prediction: Jacobs via fourth round KO