Bryant Jennings vs. Luis Ortiz

Turning Stone Casino, Verona, New York, Dec. 19
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

While this fight appears dead even on paper, Jennings' tighter defense and sounder fundamentals will tip the balance. His wins against Mike Perez and Artur Szpilka proved he can handle southpaws with aplomb and he will apply that experience against Ortiz. The lead right will be Jennings' key weapon as he calculatingly measures, outboxes and shuts down Ortiz's attack en route to a unanimous point victory in the 117-111 to 116-112 range.

Afterthoughts:
Simply put, Ortiz rose to the occasion and Jennings didn't.

Andy Lee vs. Billy Joe Saunders

Manchester Arena, England, Dec. 19
TV: SKY
By Peter Lim

Most championship-level fights are riddled with intangibles but given their respective styles, the only question mark in the outcome of this showdown is whether Lee will detonate one of his out-of-the blue, fight-ending bombs over the course of 36 minutes. As enigmatic as Lee is, there is no way the Irish Londoner can outpoint the younger, sprier Saunders, who fights like a B-minus, left-handed version of Sugar Ray Leonard in his heyday.

Experience prevails over youth in this battle of southpaws. Utilizing his superior hand and foot speed, Saunders boxes Lee's ears off for six rounds, flurrying with rapid combinations and darting away before Lee can return fire. He steps on the accelerator in the seventh round, sending Lee reeling on spaghetti legs with a volley of punches. But youthful exuberance gets the better of Saunders, and as he moves in for the kill, he leaves himself open to a short, explosive hook that abruptly ends the fight for a Knockout of the Year candidate.

Afterthoughts:
Kudos to Saunders for not letting youthful exuberance get the better of him. Calculating and methodical, he maintained the lead he gained from the 10-7 third round and never let Lee erase that deficit with one of his explosive hooks.

Regis Prograis vs. Abel Ramos

Bayou City Events Center, Houston, TX, Dec. 11
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

Prograis (15-0, 12 KOs) and Ramos (14-0-2, 9 KOs) enter the ring undefeated with relatively even records and both represent each other's toughest test to date. But Prograis' style poses much more of a conundrum to Ramos than vice versa. Prograis is a difficult-to-solve lefty while Ramos is more of a garden variety right-handed boxer-banger.

Prograis makes himself an elusive target by fighting from awkward southpaw stances, much like Pernell Whitaker did in his heyday. Working behind his jab, he tattoos Ramos with flurries upstairs and down from unexpected angles. When Ramos goes on the offensive, Prograis slips, dips and counters with a vengeance. Prograis stops Ramos in the sixth round with a multi-punch combination punctuated by a straight left to the body in a fight that turns out to be more one-sided than what their records had suggested on paper.

Afterthoughts:
Ramos is one tough customer. What a nasty and unfortunate cut. Hopefully he'll learn from this loss and comes back a better fighter.

Daniel Jacobs vs. Peter Quillin

Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 5
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

This Brooklyn turf war is truly a high quality match-up rife with intangibles that could unfold as an explosive take-no-prisoners shootout, a cerebral chess match or anything in between. Both fighters can box and both can crack, and while Jacobs has the better skills, he also appears to have the frailer chin.

Jacobs is first to strike, dropping Quillin early in the fight. But just as he seems to be gaining complete control, Quillin returns the favor and sends Jacobs to the canvass. From that point on, Jacobs reverts to a more risk-averse strategy by boxing conservatively and doing just enough to win the rounds. Unless Jacobs gets careless, which he has a tendency to do, he should cruise to a comfortable decision victory.

Afterthoughts:
From my standpoint, I thought the stoppage was a tad premature since Quillin had created distance (albeit by staggering) away from Jacobs, but I won't second guess the ref who was a few feet away and did take a close look at the hurt fighter before he waved it off.

James DeGale vs. Lucian Bute

Centre Videotron, Quebec City, Canada, Nov. 28
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

In 2012 Carl Froch punished and brutally stopped Bute, leaving behind a shell of what was once a supremely confident and devastatingly accurate left upper-cutter. DeGale is offensively reckless and defensively flimsy enough to have been picked apart by the Bute of old, but the gun-shy Romanian-Canadian will be a split second too tentative to seize upon the Londoner's flaws. DeGale out-hustles, imposes his will on and eventually stops his fellow southpaw in eight rounds.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Tyson Fury

ESPIRIT Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany, Nov. 28
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

Klitschko's reign is clearly coming to an end, but it will not be Fury who ends it. Short of catching the champion napping, Fury is simply too lumbering, inexperienced and immobile to infiltrate Klitschko's educated defense and produce an upset. Experience prevails over youth in this bout. In typical Klitschko fashion, the Ukrainian stabs the Irishman all night with thudding jabs before stopping him with a perfectly-timed one-two in the fifth round.

Jermall Charlo vs. Wilky Campfort

The Bomb Factory, Dallas, TX, Nov. 28
TV: NBC
By Peter Lim

The winner of this fight simply boils down to whose jab is first to find its target, and it will be Charlo's. Both are composite boxer-punchers with sound fundamentals, but Charlo's long jolting jabs allows him to dictate the action and eventually impose his will on Campfort.

Campfort is most dangerous when he is hurt and when he catches his opponents napping, but Charlo is cerebral enough of a fighter to avoid making reckless rookie mistakes. Campfort also has the propensity to get the upper hand against stationary fighters who sit in the pocket and trade, but Charlo is just not that kind of guy.

By the fourth round Charlo's thumping jabs pave the way for damaging straight rights and left hooks. The writing is on the wall, but the determined and durable Haitian stubbornly refuses to yield and resorts to rushing Charlo in an attempt to lure him into a phone booth war. Charlo, though, sticks to his game plan, spins out of the danger zone and stops Campfort with a left-right-left in the eighth round.

Afterthoughts:
There hasn't been a jab as destructive as Charlo's since Mark Breland in his heyday. It's a weapon that inflicts damage in and of itself and not just a punch to set up other power shots.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Miguel Cotto

Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nov. 21
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
By Peter Lim

The temptation here is to assess Cotto's and Canelo's performances against their three common opponents - Floyd Mayweather Jr., Austin Trout and Alfonso Gomez - to gauge the outcome of their showdown, but that would be a mistake. Talent-wise, Mayweather was a notch or two above, and Gomez was a notch or two below Canelo and Cotto. Both fought competitive bouts against Trout but Trout was a difficult southpaw who has nothing in common, style-wise, with either.

The reality is, Canelo-Cotto will be more one-sided and nowhere as dynamic as the pre-fight hype has let on for the simple reason that Cotto's near-flawless previous two outings were deceiving. As excellent a trainer as Freddie Roach is, he is no miracle worker. Cotto is not the born-again youthful fighter he looked like against Sergio Martinez and Daniel Geale as both opponents were severely compromised; Martinez was reduced to a one-legged fighter for most of the bout and Geale was depleted from having to melt down to the 157-pound catch weight imposed by Cotto.

Cotto is competitive in the early rounds with jolting jabs and signature hooks to the body but as the fight progresses, the younger, fresher Canelo exposes Cotto as a fighter a tad past his prime the same way Cotto exposed Shane Mosley in 2007. Cotto, though, is less defensively sound, less punch resistant and more shopworn than Mosley was eight years ago.

By the middle rounds, Canelo is first to the draw and dominates the exchanges, not so much through better speed but slicker timing. His fluid combinations, punctuated by left hooks to the body, take a cumulative toll leaving Cotto a bloody and swollen mess. As Canelo begins to land punches with virtual impunity, either the referee or Roach will intervene in the 10th round to end the slaughter. 

Afterthoughts:
Cotto might be a tad over the hill but even at 35, he still proved he retains enough skills and guile to be a top-shelf fighter in the game. There was absolutely no shame in losing as gallantly as he did against Canelo, who will likely live up to the greatness that was anticipated for Salvador Sanchez before his life was cut short at age 23.

Brandon Rios vs. Timothy Bradley

Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 7
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

Brandon Rios is almost an exact clone of Ruslan Provodnikov; although he isn't as powerful as Provodnikov, he's a tad sharper, slightly more polished and a more consistent body puncher, which will ultimately tilt the balance in this showdown.

The same thrilling back-and-forth action that was Bradley-Provodnikov transpires, with Bradley landing at a higher volume and Rios connecting with the more debilitating shots, his signature hooks to the body in particular. Working his jab overtime, Bradley pulls comfortably ahead at the halfway mark, but Rios is able to make subtle adjustments in the middle rounds to time Bradley between punches as he flurries and stop him in his tracks with accurate counters.

Rios scores a knockdown Bradley late in the fight to eke out a razor-close split decision victory in a Fight of the Year candidate.

Afterthoughts:
Hats off to Rios for being honest to the fans and, more importantly to himself, in recognizing and acknowledging that he's depleted as a fighter, both mentally and physically.

Jermell Charlo vs. Joachim Alcine

NRG Arena, Houston, Texas, Oct. 31
TV: NBC Sports 
By Peter Lim

Nothing brings the beast out of boxers than good old-fashioned sibling rivalry, and such will be the case with Jermell Charlo. Jermell's identical twin Jermall won an alphabet belt last month with an emphatic four-knockdown third-round stoppage over Cornelius Bundrage last month, and Jermell is eager to steal some thunder away from his older-by-a-minute brother.

Despite his less-than-impressive 42 percent knockout rate, Charlo can punch when he puts his mind to it. Bent on making a statement with a new gym and new trainer, that's exactly what he will do against Alcine in front of his hometown fans. Normally a cool and calculated technician, Charlo will tear into the Hatian-Canadian with reckless abandon and stop him with a three punch combo in the third round.

Afterthoughts:
To his credit, Jermell Charlo was more patient and methodical than I anticipated but the end result was still a dominating knockout win. Expect Jermell and Jermall to make ripples, together and as single entities, in the 154-pound division in the next few years. Prediction: at least one of the twins would have fought Canelo by the end of 2016. 

Terence Crawford vs. Dierry Jean

CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska, Oct. 24
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

This might be Crawford's toughest test to date but he is one of the more under-recognized talents in the sport today and he should rise to the occasion in front of his hometown fans. Fluidly darting in and out of range, Crawford dictates the action landing the first and last punches of each exchange. Frustrated and outmaneuvered, Jean tries to lure Crawford into the trenches but the Nebraska native refuses to take the bait and wins a comfortable decision in the 117-111 to 118-110 range.

Afterthoughts:
Crawford looks more impressive with each outing.

Roman Gonzalez vs. Brian Viloria

Madison Square Garden, New York, Oct. 17
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
By Peter Lim

This showdown resembles a miniaturized version of The Rumble in the Jungle. Downsize Foreman and Ali to half their weights and you'll have Gonzalez-Viloria - a young, seemingly indestructible destroyer at the peak of his prowess against an accomplished 34-year-old veteran whom many consider past his prime. Both are multi-division titleholders and potential Hall of Fame inductees.

Gonzalez (43-0, 37 KOs) has beaten everyone he has faced including several fighters to whom Viloria lost. Viloria has risen to the occasion against top-notch fighters but also fought down to the level of mediocre to above-average opponents. Like Ali in Kinshasa, Viloria enters the ring a substantial underdog in New York.

But as much as the sport of boxing could use an adrenaline jolt that a jaw-dropping Rumble-in-the-Jungle upset would deliver, that scenario will not repeat itself at The Garden. As likable and talented as Viloria is, he's simply no Muhammad Ali. While the Hawaiian Punch is very proficient in most facets of the game, he does not excel in any one area. Having struggled against gatekeeper-level opponents, Viloria (36-4, 22 KOs) lacks the ability to adjust and improvise mid-fight, as Ali did with the rope-a-dope against Foreman.

Gonzalez's youth, energy and relentless pressure prevails over Viloria in a war of attrition. Powerful and precise, Chocolatito gets the better of the toe-to-toe exchanges, and when Viloria moves his feet and tries to box, Gonzalez will chase him down, cut him off and let fists fly. By round seven, Viloria knows his only shot of victory is to land a Hail Mary and attempts to lure Gonzalez in for a single, explosive knockout punch. But Gonzalez denies him the opening by keeping his head low and gloves high while continuing to dish out debilitating punishment with both fists. The stubborn and gutsy Viloria refuses to wilt but the writing is on the wall and either the referee or his corner steps in to end the beating in the ninth round.

Afterthoughts:
I predicted the outcome of this fight to a tee all the way up to the referee stepping in to end the fight in the ninth round. I have to admit, though, Gonzalez was even more devastating than I anticipated, but Viloria was also more resilient. I thought the stoppage was a smidgen premature given that Viloria had hurt Gonzalez with a body shot moments before it was called to a halt. 

Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux

Madison Square Garden, New York, Oct. 17
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
By Peter Lim

Looking at the combatants' impressive knockout percentages, one would be inclined to buy into the Fight-of-the-Year hype that the promoters have dished out. But in reality, Lemieux (34-2, 31 KOs) is just a lamer, tamer version of Golovkin (33-0, 30 KOs) and this will be a one-sided affair. Triple G built his dossier against a much higher caliber of opponents than Lemieux.

Lemieux's deficiencies in punch resistance and ring generalship were exposed in back-to-back losses to Marco Antonio Rubio and Jaochim Alcine in 2011. Rubio, who Golovkin annihilated in two rounds, lived up to his role as gatekeeper by weathering Lemieux's onslaught and stopping him. In Lemieux's next fight, he was outmaneuvered by Alcine, a natural 154-pounder several years past his prime. Granted, since his disastrous 2011, Lemieux is 9-0 and has developed better skills and patience, but he is still nowhere close to the composite war machine that is Golovkin.

Lemieux hits hard enough to have a puncher's chance of victory, but short of catching Golovkin napping, it will be all Kazakh and no Cunuck. Golovkin will read the cheaper knockoff of himself like a book from the opening bell and have the discretion of ending it early or late, depending on his mood.

My guess is, Golovkin will err on the side of caution and end it as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Unlike his most recent opponents, Lemieux packs the firepower to render anyone unconscious so Golovkin will not risk toying with the Canadian like he did against Willie Monroe and Martin Murray. He will sap Lemieux of his strength with a few strategic body shots before separating him from his senses in the third round.

Afterthoughts:
I haven't seen anyone dominate rounds with just the jab and deploy it as an instrument of prolonged torture since Larry Holmes in his heyday. This was such a style mismatch that from a military standpoint, it resembled a tough and grizzled master sergeant trying to outmaneuver and overpower a decorated brigadier general on the battlefield. 

Lucas Matthysse vs. Viktor Postol

StubHub Center, Carson City, CA, Oct.3
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

Matthysse's murderous knockout power has overshadowed his underrated pugilistic IQ; he reads his opponents well, adjusts accordingly and can punch from difficult angles. Postol, at 5-feet-11, might be able to keep the Argentine at bay for a couple of rounds but Matthysse's big-fight experience soon allows him to close the distance and it's over once he finds his range. Matthysse abruptly demolishes the Ukrainian's undefeated record with his bread-and-butter combination, the left-right-left hook, in the fourth round.

Afterthoughts:
What a shocker! A possible Upset of the Year candidate.
Given his courageous showings against Danny Garcia and Ruslan Provodnikov, Matthysse should be given the benefit of the doubt for sitting out the count in this one. 

Adrien Broner vs. Khabib Allakhverdiev

U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH, Oct. 3

TV: Showtime

By Peter Lim

The cocky Broner doesn't appear to have been humbled by his losses to Porter and Maidana. Still of the mindset that he's a Hall-of-Fame caliber fighter, he underestimates he Allakhverdiev's ability and determination. Broner showboats and struggles to eke out an unimpressive split decision against the unheralded and inexperienced Russian, reaffirming what has been the writing on the wall since 2013 - that he is the most overrated, over-hyped, under-performing fighter in that weight region since Zab Judah.

Afterthoughts:
As dominant as Broner was, he is no Floyd and still looked very vulnerable. 

Deontay Wilder vs. Johann Duhaupas

Legacy Arena, Birmingham, AL, Sept. 26
TV: NBC
By Peter Lim

If military rankings applied to boxing, this would be analogous to a colonel versus a staff sergeant. Vulnerabilities were exposed in Deaotay Wilder's fights against Berman Stiverne and Eric Molina, namely, it doesn't take much to close the distance against him. But while savvy sluggers like Alexander Povetkin and an in-shape Chris Arreola might be able to exploit those weaknesses, Dehaupas appears to be a notch or two below that income bracket.

Wilder's fight plan is predictable yet effective. He punches holes in Duhaupas' fortifications with hard and soft jabs while strategically unleashing the heavy artillery with his straight right. Like a good soldier, Duhaupas bravely chugs forward but he simply lacks the firepower or battlefield experience to inflict any significant damage. Battered and beaten, the Frenchman finally raises the white flag in the tenth round.

Afterthoughts:
Once again, this one unfolded (almost) exactly as predicted. I'm getting good at this: my record stands at 35-7 since I started this Premonitions blog in January.

Jermall Charlo vs. Cornelius Bundrage

Foxwoods Casino, Manshantucket, Conn., Sept. 12
TV: NBC
By Peter Lim

Jermall Charlo, 25, is simply too young and hungry, and has the right mix of speed, power and skills to overcome Cornelius Bundrage's considerable advantage in level of competition. In his five career losses, Bundrage, 42, has been stopped by hard hitters and outmaneuvered by slick stylists. Charlo can box and punch, and at 6-foot-1, he will be able to dictate the action with his long, stiff jab.

In his last fight, Charlo went the 10-round distance for the first time, ending a 14-fight knockout streak. In an interview with The Houston Chronicle, Charlo predicted a decision victory, but he will be wrong. He will soon discover that Bundrage has no answers to his double jab, and when Bundrage does manage to close the distance, he will be a sitting duck for his Charlo's right uppercut. Bundrage will be a beaten fighter by the middle rounds and Charlo will close the show with a left-right-left hook combination in the seventh round.

Read the pre-fight article in The Houston Chronicle at:
http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/fortbend/sports/article/Missouri-City-boxer-relishes-title-shot-6493763.php   

Afterthoughts:
It's not often that I second guess a boxer and tell him he's wrong but I couldn't have been more right in this case.

Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga II

Inglewood Forum, Los Angeles, Aug. 29
TV: PPV
By Peter Lim

Father time seems to have eroded Mosley and Mayorga equally so both are proportionately older, slower, creakier versions of their former selves. This will simply be a lamer, tamer version of their first encounter. Mayorga's machismo will keep him competitive for the first half of the fight but he will incrementally fade and run out of steam in subsequent rounds. Mosley will pace himself better and stop Mayorga, who appears more exhausted than hurt, in the ninth round. 

Afterthoughts:

Mayorga must have held training camp in the rec center of a nursing home for this fight. How did this end up on PPV?  

Leo Santa Cruz vs. Abner Mares

Staples Center, Los Angeles, Aug. 29
TV: ESPN
By Peter Lim

One would be hard-pressed to find a matchup as even as this one. Both have proven their mettle as well-rounded, blue-chip pugilists in winning world titles in the 118- and 122-pound divisions. And while Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KOs) is undefeated and Mares (29-1-1, 15 KOs) is not, Mares has faced a higher caliber of opponents by far.

Mares, 29, has fought and defeated quality fighters the likes of Vic Darchinyan, Joseph Agbeko (twice), Eric Morel and Daniel Ponce De Leon (twice); Santa Cruz's best opponent, on the other hand, was a faded Christian Mijares who had left his prime behind him in the 115-pound division. Ultimately, Mares' big-fight experience will tip the balance of the fight.

The more aggressive Santa Cruz, 27, will have the edge in the early rounds by relentlessly pressing the action. But Mares figures out his attack by rounds four and five and begins to sidestep and counter with precision and poise. Mares simply adjusts more effectively to Santa Cruz's style than vice-versa down the stretch to win a close but unanimous decision in the 116-112 to 115-113 range.

Afterthoughts:

Santa Cruz's win snapped my 16-fight winning streak, but hey, it was a great fight so I can't really complain. Everything unfurled the way I predicted only with the roles reversed. Kudos to Santa Cruz for stepping up his game.

Danny Garcia vs. Paulie Malignaggi

Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, New York, Aug. 1
TV: ESPN2
By Peter Lim

Packing negligible knockout power, Paulie Malignaggi has always relied on his slickness and boxing IQ to defeat stronger, harder hitting men. But father time has eroded his hand and foot speed, reflexes and punch resistance, and he has descended to the status of big-name opponent - at best - at this juncture in his career.

Even in Malignaggi's prime as a junior welterweight, astute and aggressive fighters the likes of Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton were able to solve his style, close the distance and bully him with harder punches. At welterweight, Malignaggi was obliterated by natural 147-pounder Shawn Porter, who effortlessly walked through his powder-puff punches.

Danny Garcia might not be a full-fledged welterweight yet, but he has the chin, experience and versatility to repeat what Porter did. Malignaggi is particularly susceptible to the left hook which just happens to be Garcia's deadliest punch. Garcia will take a few rounds to find his range, but once he does, it will be a one-sided affair. Garcia wins by ninth-round TKO.

Malignaggi's decline as a top-shelf boxer coincided with his rise as a top-notch analyst and commentator. He is undoubtedly going into this encounter with the intention of winning so it would be impossible for him to take a step out and analyze the fight from a completely objective and unbiased standpoint. But if he did, I suspect he would agree with my assessment and prediction.

Afterthoughts:
This fight unfurled exactly as predicted. Paulie should walk away, not look back and permanently replace his trunks and mouthpiece with his tuxedo and microphone. 

Daniel Jacobs vs. Sergio Mora

Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, New York, Aug. 1
TV: ESPN2
By Peter Lim

Anyone who has met both these fighters in person will attest that they're two of the most likable guys in the sport so it's hard to root against either of them. But boxing is not a Mr. Congeniality contest, and Jacobs, as the younger, more composite and harder-punching combatant, wins this encounter by a unanimous decision in the 116-112 range.

Afterthoughts: 
What a scorcher this was turning out to be before Mora busted his ankle. 

BJ Flores vs. Beibut Shumenov

Palm Casino, Las Vegas, July 25
TV: CBS
By Peter Lim

What an intriguing encounter this is between a post-Soviet protege who has been mostly self-trained as a pro against a former two-time US national champion who, in his only loss, was outboxed by an Australian reputed more for his brawling than boxing skills. All intangibles considered, this could end up as a scorcher, a snoozer or anything in between. But Shumenov's slight edge in strength and experience allows him to pull off a close but unanimous decision in this matchup.

Afterthoughts:
The result was exactly as predicted, but the way it transpired was not. Who knew the usually-aggressive Kovalev would deploy a circle-and-ambush strategy and switch periodically to southpaw?

Sergei Kovalev vs. Nadjib Mohammedi

Mandalay Bay Casino, Las Vegas, July 25

TV: HBO

By Peter Lim

Can anyone remember a boxer-puncher as complete as Kovalev who hit with both surgical precision and brute violence since Sugar Ray Robinson? Thomas Hearns and Kostya Tszyu in their heydays came close but while they might meet the "surgical" and "brutal" criteria, they were too deficient in defense and chin to qualify for the "complete" category.

Mohammedi, who has been stopped by B caliber fighters with average punching power, stands as much of a chance of escaping unconsciousness as an actress auditioning for the part of Sleeping Beauty in a Bill Cosby production. Kovalev will have no trouble finding the Frenchman be it from a distance or on the inside with his murderous shots. The Russian will end the fight inside of three rounds. 

Afterthoughts:
A straight left that follows the straight right is as powerful as a left hook due to the extra pivot. Few fighters still deploy the punch and trainers rarely include it anymore while drilling their fighters on combinations on the pads. Kudos to Kovalev for resuscitating that punch from the brink of extinction.

Keith Thurman vs. Luis Collazo

USF Sundome,Tampa, FL, July 11
TV: ESPN
By Peter Lim 

Luis Collazo represents the rare middle-class in a boxing, a third-world country of sports where the rich are filthy rich and everyone else is dirt poor with very little in between the two classes. As the anointed gatekeeper of the welterweight division and a much sought-after sparring partner, he never has to look very far for his next paycheck. Win, lose or draw, Collazo always comes to fight.

But Thurman is the real deal, and as he proved against Robert Guerrero, he has little difficulty against southpaws. Collazo will bring the best out of Thurman like he does with all his opponents, and Thurman's best is good enough to comfortably outpoint the tough New Yorker over 12 rounds.

Afterthoughts:
Collazo deserves the benefit of the doubt here based on his all his previous gutsy performances.

Timothy Bradley vs. Jessie Vargas

StubHub Center, Carson, CA, June 27
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

This is a showdown between two almost identical, educated boxer-punchers who let their fists fly at a high volume but pack negligible one-punch knockout power. But with names like Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez and Ruslan Provodnikov on his resume, Bradley's experience trumps Varrgas' youth in this encounter.

Bradley also has the edge in physical conditioning. Vargas is by no means a slacker when it comes to doing his roadwork; it's just that Bradley is one of those a fitness fanatics who goes so above and beyond the call of duty in the gym that he can easily complete a triathlon immediately after a grueling 12-round fight.

Both fighters will have their moments in an exhilarating, ebb-and-flow affair that fluctuates between a fast-paced chess match and toe-to-toe slugfest, but Bradley is able to figure out Vargas more than vice-versa as the fight progresses. Getting the better of the exchanges in the late rounds, Bradley pulls ahead to win a close but clear-cut decision in the 115-113 to 116-112 range.

Afterthoughts:
What a flawed ending to such an entertaining scrap. Pat Russel's horrific blunder robbed the fans of what could well have been the most suspenseful final 10 seconds of a fight since Chavez-Taylor 1.

Isn't it weird and wonderful that such a solidly-muscled guy like Bradley can't seem to crack an egg with his best right cross, while frail-looking fighters like Nonito Donaire and Andy Lee can decapitate a neanderthal with punches that barely travel six inches. That's boxing for you.

Andre Ward vs. Paul Smith

Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA, June 20
TV: BET
By Peter Lim

This amounts to little more than a tune-up for Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) to sand off the ring rust from his 19-month layoff. Unless Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KOs) has a trick up his sleeve that we've never seen before, Ward cruises to a comfortable decision in what looks more like a glorified sparring session than a prizefight worthy of a national live broadcast.

Afterthoughts:
There was hardly any ring rust at all. Good comeback fight for Ward.

Rances Barthelemy vs. Antonio DeMarco

MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV, June 21
TV: CBS
By Peter Lim

Antonio DeMarco (31-4-1, 23 KOs) is one of those fighters who can beat anyone on any given night if they stand in the pocket and trade with him. But he is dumbfounded by slick boxers who refuse to engage him in his comfort zone, and Rances Barthelemy (22-0, 13 KOs) will be one of them. The tall, lanky Cuban methodically boxes, sidesteps and counter punches his way to a lopsided decision over the Mexican southpaw.

Sammy Vasquez vs. Wale Omotoso

MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV, June 21
TV: CBS
By Peter Lim

It's a crying shame that outside the community of die-hard boxing aficionados, virtually no one else knows that this is an A+ matchup between two all-action, albeit still relatively obscure fighters. Both are versatile and explosive boxer-bangers whose strengths and weaknesses collide to produce a potential Fight of the Year.

In Vasquez (18-0, 3 KOs), we have a defensively-flawed southpaw who rips the body in real life more violently than Rocky Balboa in the movies. Unlike Sylvester Stallone's fictional character, though, Vasquez also possesses an educated lead right hook that can stop a heavyweight in his tracks.

Omotoso (25-1, 21 KOs) is typically an offensive fighter, but under pressure, he knows how to catch and counter from a tortoise-like defensive shell, which might be the perfect foil Vazquez's reckless attacks. And as his 84 percent knockout ratio suggests, the Nigerian can crack with both fists.

The two key determining factors in this bout is Omotoso's 2013 loss to Jessie Vargas and Vasquez's aforementioned check hook. Vasquez, like Vargas, is a high volume puncher but hits a lot harder. It will be a war of attrition in which both fighters have their moments but Vasquez's short right hook lands more accurately and consistently to inflict more damage over the long haul than anything Omotoso can deliver.

Omotoso will be damaged goods late in the fight and Vasquez will move in for the kill and stop him in the eighth or ninth round.

Adrian Broner vs. Shawn Porter

MGM Grand, las Vegas, NV, June 20
TV: NBC Sports Net
By Peter Lim

This should be fun to watch. Porter's a solidly-built, full-fledged welterweight who can box and who can punch but lacks the finesse and speed that the naturally-smaller Broner possesses. When completely disciplined, Broner is frustratingly hard to hit but, cocky as he may be, he is no Mayweather and sporadically succumbs to defensive lapses.

At 147, Broner was mauled by Marcos Maidana and struggled against Paulie Malignaggi, both of whom, like Broner, were also blown up 140-pounders. Maidana is a heavy-handed slugger, Malignaggi a slick stylist and Porter is a middle-of-the-road hybrid of the two.

Size trumps savvy in this fight. Broner's punching power, while debilitating at 130 and 135, was significantly diminished at welterweight. Bigger and stronger even at the 143-pound catch weight, Porter will simply walk Broner down with harder punches, forcing the smaller-framed man to fight on survival mode by the middle rounds. Porter wins a comfortable decision in the 117-111 to 116-112 range at the end of the night.   

Afterthoughts:
Everything unfolded as predicted except that it was Broner who scored the knockdown. Who would've thunk it?

Nicholas Walters vs. Miguel Marriaga

Madison Square Garden, New York, June 13
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

Given Walters' and Marriaga's knockout rates of 84 percent and 90 percent respectively, it's safe to predict this bout will not go the distance. But while Marriaga is largely an unknown entity, Walters has had his mettle tested against better-caliber opponents and passed with flying colors, most notably in his last fight with Nonito Donaire.

It might take Walters a few rounds to find the chinks in the Colombian's armor but once he does, he methodically dismantles and destroys him. The Jamaican repeatedly catches Marriaga flush with right uppercuts, crosses and hooks for a fourth-round TKO in what turns out to be a suspenseful and entertaining scrap.

Afterthoughts:
What looked to be a potential Fight of the Year candidate turned out to be a gross size mismatch due to Walters' inability to make weight. It looked like a human teenager fighting an adult neanderthal. Although Marriaga didn't win the now-vacated title, the fact that he finished the fight on his feet against a monster with such a considerable size advantage is a victory in and of itself.

Deontay Wilder vs. Eric Molina

Bartow Arena, Birmingham, AL, June 13
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

This fight is as much of a mismatch as the fighters' records suggests. Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs) could not have found an easier opponent for the first defense of his WBC heavyweight belt than Molina (23-2, 17 KOs). It will be fast and clinical. Wilder will do a bit of poking and prodding with his jab before finding the opening for a fight-ending right cross in the second round.

Afterthoughts:
Wilder looks very beatable. If a fighter of Molina's caliber could rock him like that, imagine the kind of damage someone like Chris Arreola or Alexander Povetkin would inflict on him. 

Erislandy Lara vs. Delvin Rodriguez

UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Il, June 12
TV: Spike TV
By Peter Lim

Rodriguez represents a step down in competition for Lara, given his last five opponents ranked from very competent to excellent. Lara is simply a couple of notches above Rodriguez in every respect of the game so this should amount to little more than a glorified sparring session for him. But Lara is not much of a risk taker and he will be content to cruise to a decision win rather than go for the knockout. 

Afterthoughts:
Nailed this one on the head. Lara had several opportunities to go for the knockout but chose to hold back.

Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale

Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, New York, June 6
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

Cotto ended up with the middleweight title by defeating a one-legged Sergio Martinez last year but he really doesn't belong at 160. In Geale, though, he faces a sub-par opponent who was annihilated in three rounds by Gennady Golovkin in July and has done little to deserve another title shot except outpoint an 18-2 fighter during the interim.

The Puerto Rican simply proves too savvy and seasoned for the Australian. Once Cotto begins connecting to the the body with his debilitating left hook, it will mark the beginning to the end for Geale. Cotto effortlessly outboxes and out-brawls Geale to break him down methodically and stop him in the ninth round.

Afterthoughts:
Cotto looked spectacular against two very compromised middleweights. Can he duplicate that form against Canelo when he drops back down to 154?  

Amir Khan vs. Chris Algieri

Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, NY, May 29

TV: Spike TV

By Peter Lim

Talent-wise, Algieri (20-1, 8 KOs) isn't really a top-shelf fighter but his gritty split decision upset over Provodnikov has earned him back-to-back big-money fights, first against Pacquaio and now against Khan. This matchup would be a gross mismatch if not for one thing; the glass-chinned Khan is always one punch away from being dropped or even stopped. 

Like Mohammad Ali and Roy Jones, Khan (30-3, 19 KOs) is one of those fighters who does many things wrong but gets away with it because of his exceptional speed. While more seasoned and cerebral fighters might be able to capitalize on his flawed fundamentals, Algieri simply lacks the experience or know-how to do so. Khan can box and he can punch, but knowing he's a frontrunner for a mega payday against Mayweather, he opts to rapid fire his way to a lopsided decision in lieu of throwing caution to the wind to go for the knockout.

Afterthoughts:
Kudos to Algieri. He came to fight.

James DeGale vs. Andre Dirrell

Agganis Arena, Boston, MA, May 23
TV: NBC
By Peter Lim

This looks like a high-quality match-up considering DeGale (20-1, 14 KOs) is a 2008 Olympic gold medalist and Dirrell (24-1, 16 KOs) a 2004 Olympic bronze medalist. But styles make fights and it turns out to be a yawner of a chess match thanks to Dirrell's safety-first, fan-unfriendly mode of combat.

DeGale presses the action and attempts to initiate exchanges but the switch-hitting Dirrell backs away, smothers, holds and simply refuses to engage. As successful as Dirrell is in killing DeGale's momentum, he offers little in terms of a counter attack allowing DeGale to eke out a razor-close decision after 12 very forgettable rounds.

Afterthoughts:
The verdict was correct: in a close fight, the guy who scores the knockdowns wins.

Bahodir Mamadjonov vs. Richard Commey

The D Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV, May 22
TV: CBS Sports
By Peter Lim

Records can be deceiving which is indeed the case in this match-up. With a 90 percent stoppage rate, Commey (21-0, 19 KOs) appears at first glance to be a murderous, Golovkin-like knockout artist. But the Ghanaian's power remains a question mark given the fact that his victories have come against a very mediocre and obscure bunch of opponents in Europe and Africa.

Mamadjonov (17-1, 11 KOs) might appear somewhat ordinary on paper, but he has faced a higher caliber of fighters than Commey. A transplant to Houston from Uzbekistan, Mamadjonov was put on the fast track and matched against more experienced opponents early in his career. His only loss was via disputed split decision in his 12th bout against Darleys Perez, who was 25-0 at that time.

Mamadjonov's experience will ultimately tip the balance in this fight. A vicious body puncher, the southpaw will zero in on Commey's lanky torso with straight lefts, break him down and stop him in the middle rounds.

Afterthoughts:
Jury is still out as to whether Commey is the real deal. Granted he pulled out the victory, but he lost five of seven completed rounds.

Gennady Golovkin vs. Willie Monroe Jr.

Forum, Inglewood, CA, May 16
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

On paper at least, this encounter looks like a man-versus-boy type mismatch, but styles make fights and Monroe (19-1, 6 KOs), a speedy sharp-shooter, does actually have the skill set to upset Golovkin (32-0, 29 KOs), on the outside chance he can keep it up for 12 rounds.

Utilizing his superior hand and foot speed, Monroe will win the first couple rounds by sniping from long range with his right jab while spinning side to side to offset Golovkin. But as slick of a southpaw as Monroe is, he is no Pernell Whitaker; he can be countered and he can be cornered. Golovkin will time Monroe, maybe even drop him, with a few strategically-placed rights to the body and Monroe will quickly unravel.

By the fifth round Monroe will be reduced to fighting on survival mode, hanging on to Golovkin for dear life as the murderous-punching Kazakh violently tears into him with both fists. Trapping Monroe along the ropes, Golovkin connects with a straight right to the chin in the seventh round delivering a knockout so brutal it rivals last weekend's Canelo KO3 Kirkland for 2015 Knockout of the Year.

Afterthoughts:
If Golovkin was really giving Monroe a chance to get back into the fight by letting himself get hit, he is more confident, fan-considerate and invincible than previously thought. Monroe's stock didn't go down as he chose to trade with 3G rather than fight on survival mode, but he sure didn't win any new fans from the Mexican-thick crowd at the Inglewood Forum by quitting on his feet.

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez vs. James Kirkland

Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX, May 9
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

This is truly a fire-and-ice match-up that pits a relentless brawler-banger against a cool, nerves-of-steel boxer-puncher, neither of whom are rarely in a dull fight. Style-wise, Kirkland's weaknesses play more into Canelo's strengths than vice versa, but one need only look at Kirkland's 87.5 percent knockout rate to know that he is capable of separating anyone from his senses.

Kirkland has other predicaments working against him - the absence of Anne Wolfe in his corner, his long layoff sans tuneup fight and his shocking three-knockdown stoppage loss to Ishida. But even if you discount those factors, the most tell-tale harbinger to the outcome of this fight is Carlos Molina. If a guy like Molina could befuddle the bejesus out of Kirkland (before losing a dubious final-round disqualification in 2012), imagine what Canelo will do to him.

Kirkland will test Canelo's chin and resolve like no other fighter before, but Canelo will pass with flying colors and stop Kirkland in the sixth round.

Read the preview and analysis of Canelo-Kirkland at Houstonboxing.blogspot.com.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquaio

MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, May 2
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

Underestimating Pacquiao's hand and foot speed, Mayweather will taste the canvass courtesy of a right hook and fall behind on the scorecards early in the fight. But Mayweather never makes the same mistake twice and gradually figures Pacquiao out. Deploying his masterful tuck-roll-and-counter maneuvers, Mayweather calculatingly sneaks ahead in the middle rounds, landing precious few punches but allowing Pacquiao to connect with even fewer.

Freddie Roach implores Pacquiao to turn up the pressure and throw punches in bunches, which he does with a measure of success in the late rounds. The Filipino fighter sporadically jolts Mayweather with straight lefts and right hooks but finds himself smothered and entangled in a clinch before he can inflict further damage.

By the end of the fight, both the media and public are split 50/50. The rounds that Pacquaio wins are decisive while Mayweather appears to have squeaked by more rounds, albeit barely. But since the 10-point must system is law of the land in the sport of boxing, Mayweather's hand is raised at the end of the night by scores in the 114-113 to 115-112 range.

For a strength-versus-weakness analysis of the fight, please see: houstonboxing.blogspot.com.

Vladimir Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings

Madison Square Garden, New York, April 25
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

Klitschko KOs Jennings in 5. One need only look at their records to know that this is a man-versus-boy type mismatch. Klitschko has almost three times as many knockouts as Jennings has fights. The only way Jennings wins this fight is if two things occur simultaneously: Klitschko grows old overnight and Jennings rises to the occasion and fights the best fight of his life. The odds of that happening are next to nil. Like most of Klitschko's opponents, Jennings will be clobbered by the Ukrainian's telephone pole jab all night before he is felled like timber by a battering ram right in the fifth round.

Terence Crawford vs. Thomas Dulorme

University of Arlington, Texas, April 18
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

All things considered, this should be a glorified sparring session for Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs), who is simply a class or two above Dulorme (22-1, 14 KOs) in the key aspects of the game - speed, power, ring generalship and level of opposition. The sharp-shooting Nebraskan will dictate the action regardless of whether the Puerto Rican chooses, to box, brawl or alternate between the two. But Crawford isn't much of a risk taker and he'll opt to cruise to a lopsided decision rather than go for the knockout.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Andrzej Fonfara

StubHub Center, Carson, California, April 18
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

In over his head at 175 pounds, Chavez's slack training ethic and partying lifestyle catches up with him in this fight. In Fonfara (26-3, 15 KOs), Chavez faces a natural, full-fledged light heavyweight who will be unfazed by his bread-and-butter left hooks and return fire with gusto and authority. Chavez (48-1-1, 32 KOs) might find a measure of success if he uses his jab, boxes and counter punches, but those moments will be fleeting once Fonfara catches on, adjusts and reestablishes control. Giving Chavez a taste of his own medicine, Fonfara will impose his will and bully the bully to win a comfortable decision.

Aftertoughts:

From an evolutionary standpoint, species thrive when they duplicate the successes while circumventing the failures of their forebearers. In the case of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., he appears to have inherited his father's exceptional pugilistic DNA, but has followed his footsteps down the path to surefire defeat as well.

Chavez Jr.'s loss to Andrzej Fonfara was reminiscent of his father's shortfalls against naturally bigger and stronger fighters. While their punches shook, rattled and rolled opponents at lighter divisions, those same blows bounced harmlessly off larger-framed men once they crossed the boundary of how much meat on the bone they could effectually carry into the ring. Chavez Sr. recognized his offspring's folly and tried to dissuade the him from taking on Fonfara but to no avail.

In the 90's, it became evident that 140 was as high as Chavez Sr. could bulk up to and still remain competitive. He was indestructible at 130 and 135, and although he was still dominant enough to partially unify the junior welterweight championship, vulnerabilities began to surface at that higher division; his punch was less torpedo-like and his chin was less torpedo-proof. He was behind on points before he stopped Meldrick Taylor and Roger Mayweather, but more tellingly, he was dropped for the first time and suffered his first defeat against Frankie Randall.

Once he moved up to 147, he was reduced from a great fighter to merely an above average one. He challenged Oscar De La Hoya for the welterweight title, and even at a catchweight, was dominated by the bigger man who absorbed his firepower with ease and aplomb.

Like his father before him, Chavez Jr. crossed that threshold of weight gain imposed upon him by his physical constitution and paid dearly for it against Fonfara. Granted, Fonfara is no De La Hoya, and Chavez Jr. is no Chavez Sr., but the same adage applies; boxers, no matter how tough and talented, are ultimately human and not superheroes. 

Ruslan Provodnikov vs. Lucas Mathysse

Turning Stone Casino and Resort, Verona, New York, April 18
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

How unfortunate that both these fighters are almost unknown to mainstream sports fans as this A+ matchup is a hardcore boxing aficionado's dream fight with the thrill potential that exceeds every super-showdown out there, Mayweather-Pacquiao included. Kudos to both guys for agreeing to face each other in lieu of the safer options available to them. The fight has Hagler-Hearns written all over it.

Like Hagler, Provodnikov is a vicious seek-and-destroy puncher, but blow for blow, he falls a notch or two below the one-punch sledgehammer power that Mathysse packs, much like Hearns did. Mathysse, having tasted the canvass three times in his last three fights, appears to have the weaker chin of the two, but unlike the ultra-frail Hearns, he was able to regroup every time he hit the deck.

Both fighters' defenses are far from impenetrable so the determining factor here boils down to whether Provodnikov's chin is as torpedo-proof as Hagler's was, and I'm guessing that it is. The Russian buzzsaw will absorb Mathysse's best bombs with aplomb, violently tear into the Argentine, rip him to shreds and score a TKO inside of six action-packed rounds.

Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson

Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, New York, April 11

TV: NBC

By Peter Lim

Between the two of them, Danny Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) and Lamont Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs) hold three 140-pound titles, but none are on the line since they're fighting at a catch weight three pounds above the junior welterweight limit. It appears that they are using each other to test the waters and break into the lucrative welterweight division. But it nevertheless remains a highly intriguing bout provided both fighters come in as prepared and focused as they would be if their belts were at stake.

Garcia wins this showdown on account of his sturdier chin and better punching power. The fight will be evenly contested mostly at center ring with Garcia landing the harder shots and Peterson connecting at a slightly higher volume. But Peterson has tasted the canvass on numerous occasions before and Garcia will score a flash knockdown or two along the way, tipping the scores in his favor when all is said and done.

Afterthoughts:
Kudos to Steve Farhood for maintaining an objective perspective on the fight while his co-analysts Ray Leonard and Marv Albert were so blatantly biased towards Peterson.

Andy Lee vs. Peter Quillan

Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, New York, April 11
TV: NBC
By Peter Lim

The more composite, technically proficient and defensively sound Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs) should win this bout easily on condition he doesn't get caught by one of Lee's electrocuting right hooks. Given the way Lee (34-2, 24 KOs) separated his last two opponents from their senses with that punch, you can be sure Quillin's camp has conditioned him to avoid it like the Ebola virus. Quillin will land the first and last punch of every exchange, break Lee down and stop him in the middle rounds.

Afterthoughts:

Fair verdict. Lee is so easy to hit but what he lacks in defense he makes up for in toughness and dogged Irish determination. Quillin looks like a gifted but underachieving fighter who'll never meet his full potential.

Adonis Stevenson vs. Sakio Bika

Pepsi Coliseum, Quebec City, Canada, April 4
TV: CBS
By Peter Lim

Bika is tailor-made for Stevenson. When he is able to keep his right shoulder precisely angled toward his opponent, Stevenson is fluid, explosive and untouchable. But when forced out of that zone of invincibility, he is reduced to a jittery, vulnerable fighter.

Lacking any semblance of finesse, Bika is too brutish and one-dimensional to throw Stevenson off his game. Stevenson will dictate the action and cruise to a lopsided decision, maybe even dropping Bika once or twice along the way. 

Afterthoughts:

Nailed this one smack on the button, including the two knockdowns. 

Artur Beterbiev vs. Gabriel Campillo

Pepsi Coliseum, Quebec City, Canada, April 4
TV: CBS
By Peter Lim

Crossroads fights are typically intriguing because it pits youth versus experience. But the on-paper edge in experience for Campillo (25-6-1, 12 KOs) is diminished when you consider Beterbiev (7-0, 7 KOs) demolished Tavoris Cloud who defeated Campillo in 2012. Campillo's southpaw style shouldn't be a factor since Beterbiev tangled with many a lefty at the highest level of the sport as an amateur. The Rookie Russian should annihilate the seasoned Spaniard inside of five rounds.

Afterthoughts:

Another good call. Beterbiev should go on to achieve some great feats in the sport provided his chin proves sturdy.

Jermell Charlo vs. Vanes Martirosyan

Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, NV, March 28
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

These two guys were sparring partners when Martirosyan was training under Ronnie Shields in Charlo's hometown of Houston so they are no strangers to each other. But since Charlo was a 19-year-old work in progress at that time and Martirosyan was already a ranked contender, Charlo is more of an unknown quantity to Martirosyan than vice-versa. Plus, Charlo is now trained by Shields, who is all too familiar with both fighters' strengths and weaknesses and will devise a game plan accordingly.

Charlo (25-0, 11 KOs) has developed into a pure boxer who uses the ring well and deploys every punch in the book in fluid combinations. But what he has in abundance of education, he seems lack in punching power, as his 44 percent knockout rate suggests. This is in stark contrast to his twin, Jermall (20-0, 16 KOs) who will be fighting on the undercard riding a 14-fight knockout streak.

Martirosyan (35-1-1, 21 KOs) is one of those erratic fighters who can box and who can punch but hasn't been able to seamlessly combine the two modes of combat to deserve the label boxer-puncher. He has fought better-caliber opponents than Charlo but fell a tad short in his two most significant bouts, a split decision loss to Demitrius Andrade for the vacant WBO junior middleweight belt, and a ninth-round technical draw against Erislandy Lara.

The winner of this fight simply boils down to who's faster on the trigger, and that will be Charlo. The Texan will dictate the tempo by moving side to side while using his jab to set up straight rights and combinations. Martirosyan will find a measure of success by pressing the action and land some solid punches but the defensively-sound Charlo will dip, duck and slide out the side door when the going gets too up close and personal. The scores will be close, in the 115-113 range, but nobody will dispute the verdict.

Afterthoughts:

Couldn't have been more right on this one.

Jhonny Gonzalez vs. Gary Russell Jr.

Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, NV, March 28

TV: Showtime

By Peter Lim

Jhonny Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KOs) hits so hard that he can stop just about anybody but at the same time, his chin and body are so frail that he can be stopped by just about anybody too. Two of his three knockout losses came against southpaws (Toshiaki Nishioka and Gerry Penalosa) and he was dropped and dominated by yet another lefty, Daniel Ponce de Leon.

Gary Russell Jr. (25-1, 14 KOs) has only average punching power but so did Penalosa and that didn't prevent him from sinking Gonzalez for the full count with a shot to the ribcage. Russell's whiskers withstood the blows of Vasyl Lomachenko but as accomplished as the Ukrainian is, his punches pale in comparison to the whipper-snapper missiles that Gonzalez launches.

Russell's speed, more than his southpaw style, will trouble Gonzalez in the early goings of the fight, but Gonzalez's impressive boxing prowess is often overlooked because of his explosive punching power. Neutralizing speed with timing, Gonzalez will soon exploit the chinks in Russell's armor that Lomachenko exposed with lead right hands. Somewhere in the middle rounds, he will follow one of those rights with a sizzling left hook that separates Russell from his senses, ending the fight.

Afterthoughts:

Couldn't have been more wrong on this one.

Sergei Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal

March 14, Bell Center, Montreal, Quebec

TV: HBO

By Peter Lim

As intriguing and competitive as this bout might appear, Kovalev will become the first man to stop the sturdy-chinned Pascal in a relatively one-sided bout. Granted, Pascal had the punch to drop Hopkins twice in their first encounter, and the whiskers to absorb the formidable artillery of Froch and Bute, but the cold-blooded and calculating Russian assassin is simply half a notch or two more proficient than the tough Canadian pugilist in most areas of the game – offense, defense, firepower and adaptability. The one intangible here is Kovalev’s chin, which has never seriously been tested.

It might take Kovalev a few rounds to figure out the chinks in Pascal’s armor, but once he does, he will blast away with his signature Soviet shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later mode of combat. Mixing his attack upstairs and down, he will viciously zero in on the body when Pascal gets too protective of his head, break him down, bust him up and finish him off somewhere between the middle to late rounds.

Afterthoughts

The stoppage was way premature considering how Pascal came back from his near-death experience in the third round and was rocking Kovalev with counters while seemingly out on his feet.

Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero

March 7, MGM Grand, Las Vegas

TV: NBC

By Peter Lim

Everything matches up evenly with both these guys including Thurman's youth against Guerrero's experience. But styles make fights and forward-moving boxer-punchers are typically more vulnerable to bait-and-blast exponents than vice-versa.

The more aggressive Guerrero is, the more exposed he will leave himself to Thurman's punishing counters. Should Guerrero choose to exercise caution and box tactically from the outside, which he certainly has the capacity to do, it will be a closer, albeit less exciting, fight. But Guerrero's machismo will get the better of him and play directly into Thurman's hands.

Guerrero will make adjustments in the middle rounds and find some success in countering Thurman's counters from his southpaw stance but Thurman will also adjust and continue to get the better of the exchanges. Thurman will win a lopsided decision that doesn't reflect the closeness of most of the rounds in what turns out to be a spirited and suspense-filled fight.

Afterthoughts

Thurman's cannon of a right hand might be the most overlooked fight-ending punch in the game. Anyone other than Guerrero would have wilted.

Adrien Broner vs. John Molina

March 7, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada

TV: NBC

By Peter Lim

Given the styles of the two combatants, the temptation in predicting the outcome here is to look at Marcos Maidana W12 Adrien Broner (December 2013) and John Molina TKO 10 Mickey Bey Jr. (July 2013), since Molina fights a lot like Maidana, and Broner a lot like Bey. But although Molina can crack as hard as Maidana, he is not the educated slugger that is Maidana but more of a seek-and-destroy plodder. Remember, Bey was easily boxing Molina's ears off before he got caught in the tenth round.

All things being equal, the slick technician beats the determined brawler four out of five times in this sport, and that's how this bout will unfold. Still, it will be an entertaining scrap courtesy of Molina's uncompromising do-or-die mentality. Broner (29-1, 22 KOs) will dictate the action with his superior boxing ability and defensive skills but Molina (27-5, 22 KOs) will have his moments when Broner's cockiness gets the better of him. Both fighters might taste the canvass during the course of the fight but have the wherewithal to regroup and recover. At the end of the night, Broner will be declared the winner by close but clear-cut decision.

Afterthoughts

 Broner's aversion to taking risks will not win him any new fans.

Gennady Golovkin vs. Martin Murray

Feb. 21, Monte Carlo, Monaco
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

The question here is not if but when Gennady Golovkin (31-0, 28 KOs) will end the fight inside the distance. The answer lies somewhere between how patient the sharpshooting Kazakh will be and whether Martin Murray (29-1-1, 12 KOs) will decide to go for broke or fight on survival mode the moment he's buzzed by one of Golovkin's missiles.

It will take a round or two for Golovkin, 32, to figure out the Englishman hasn't the firepower to hurt him, effortlessly walk through Murray's punches and plaster him with his signature pinpoint detonations to the upstairs and down. Murray, 32, will sneak in a few solid body punches and counter rights but is eventually flattened by either a double left hook or a straight right he never sees coming in the fifth round.   

Afterthoughts:

Martin Murray has a torpedo-proof chin.

Akhror Muralimov vs. Derrick Rossy
Feb. 14, 2015, Resort World Casino, Queens, NY
TV: CBS Sports

By Peter Lim

Akhror Muralimov (16-0, 13 KOs) might look like a chubbier, somewhat clumsier version of Mike Tyson and Derrick Rossy (29-9, 14 KOs) like a lesser version of Buster Douglas, but there will be no upset here. While the six-foot-three Rossy, 34, sports a three-and-a-half inch height advantage, Muralimov, 27, has dealt with taller fighters his entire career. Muralimov's extensive amateur career in Uzbekistan has fomented solid fundamentals and astute ring generalship which will come into play in this bout. It will take him a couple of rounds to figure Rossy out, but Muralimov will close the distance, break him down with short punches and eventually stop him somewhere between rounds six and eight.

Afterthoughts:
Had I known Muralimov would show up in such grotesque shape, I would not have made that prediction. My fault for not checking the weights.

Premonitions: Rocky Juarez vs. Robinson Castellanos

Premonitions

By Peter Lim

Rocky Juarez vs. Robinson Castellanos

Jan. 26, Cowboys Dance Hall, San Antonio, Texas

TV: Fox Sports

Pick: Juarez

Unless Juarez steps into the ring at anywhere less than 75 percent capacity even at this late stage of his career, this fight will be a mismatch. Juarez is almost never in an easy fight, but this will be the one exception. Simply put, Castellanos' street-fighting style is custom made for Juarez.

Anyone who stands in the pocket and trades with Juarez is just looking for trouble and Castellanos doesn't know how to fight any other way. In addition, he punches wide like a back-alley brawler, leaving himself open to shorter, sharper leads and counters.

Look for Juarez to end the fight with a single left hook somewhere between rounds four and seven.

Read the preview of the fight in The Houston Chronicle: 

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/heights/sports/article/Juarez-to-defend-title-in-San-Antonio-6028026.php

Afterthoughts

Once again, couldn't have been more wrong. How could Juarez have looked so rejuvenated against the guy who dismantled and destroyed Castellanos and so shopworn against Castellanos himself?

Premonitions: Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado III

Premonitions

By Peter Lim

Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado III

Jan. 24, 1^st Bank Center, Broomfield, Colorado

Pick: Mike Alvarado

There are numerous intangibles in this fight – cuts, fouls, altitude, training disruptions (reported and unreported), machismo, etc. – but the winner essentially boils down to the fighter whose goods are less damaged at this juncture of their careers; and that is … Alvarado.

Both have been in their share of wars over the years in which they have dished out and absorbed a horrendous amount of brutality, but Rios, because of his stronger chin, has subjected himself to more sustained punishment that leads to longer lasting damage. The frailer Alvarado, on the other hand, has folded under the intense artillery that Rios was able to withstand, sparing him from the more prolonged beatings that Rios has endured. So ironically, Alvarado, on account of his weaker chin, will enter the ring the fresher, less shopworn of the two, albeit not by much.

The rubber match will simply be a repeat of Rios-Alvarado II, unless Rios can somehow lure Alvarado into the trenches and force a toe-to-toe slugfest as he did in their first encounter. Duplicating and refining his game plan from their last fight, Alvarado will sharp shoot from long range and, at opportune moments, sneak in, unload and sneak out before Rios can effectively return fire en route to a clear-cut decision victory.

Afterthoughts

I couldn't have been more wrong on this one. Rios looked fresh as a daisy, like he had erased the wear and tear of all his previous wars and started from a clean slate. Alvarado on the hand stepped into the ring looking like his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez happened just last night.

Premonitions: Wilder vs. Stiverne

Premonitions
By Peter Lim

Bermane Stiverne vs. Deontay Wilder
Jan. 17, 2015, MGM Grand, Las Vegas Nevada

Pick: Wilder

Styles make fights and this one is a no-brainer. Here we have two guys with more or less the same modus operandi; both are classical boxers who deploy their jabs to set up mind-numbing rights. One stands at six-foot-eight, the other six-foot-two and neither is significantly faster than the other. Guess who gets his punches off first? While Stiverne's tuck-and-roll defense can neutralize the firepower of sluggers like Chris Arreola, it is much less effective against long-range straight shooters like Wilder. Unless Stiverne has some ace up his sleeve to close the distance that we've never seen before, Wilder will easily outbox him to win a lopsided decision or late-round stoppage.

Post-fight commentary 

Result: Deontay Wilder W12 Bermane Stiverne

If these were the two best heavyweights on this side of the Atlantic, the elite action in the division is going to remain in Europe for a while, not that the talent pool runs very deep over there either. Despite the pre-fight hype that undoubtedly led to its high ratings, Stiverne-Wilder did little to generate excitement in the heavyweight division on this hemisphere.

Stiverne proved he had a torpedo-proof chin but that was about it. But if his chin was made of concrete, so it seemed, were his feet as he was unveiled as plodding and one-dimensional with little ability or even willingness to adjust.

As slow-footed as Stiverne was, he nevertheless showed that all you had to do to close the distance against Wilder was to move forward, no feinting or bobbing and weaving required. Wilder displayed a long stiff jab but more often than not, he used his left to paw, poke and prod, exposing himself to counters that more versatile fighters would have exploited.