I am really looking forward to this fight.
It's a confrontation between the "in-his-prime," boxer-puncher Adrien "the Problem" Broner (27-0, 22 KO) against the "in-his-prime," hard-hitting Marcos "El Chino" Maidana (34-3, 31 KO). And when you add the fact that Broner also punches hard, the thought of this fight going the 12-round distance is a long shot.
So, who's going to leave the Alamodome with the WBA welterweight title belt wrapped around his waist?
Based on his huge advantage in hand speed and significant advantage in defense, look for Broner to stop Maidana by about round eight (and don't be surprised if it's to the body). He'll be looking to make a statement after his somewhat difficult decision victory over the "always hard to look good against" Paulie Malignaggi. And I think he will fight with the right balance of caution and aggression to make Maidana yield.
However, the fight will not be without its measure of drama. When you hit like Maidana does, you have much more than a puncher's chance. I'm sure he'll have his moments when he touches Broner to the body or head. But I don't think he'll do it enough based on his track record of struggling with boxer-punchers (Amir Khan and Devon Alexander).
When they meet on Saturday, December 14th, I expect Maidana to face a serious Problem. And we all know who that is.