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.