Now that the weather is warming up around my area, boxing seems to be following suit. Excluding the recent Hopkins-Jones II 
debacle, the next couple of weeks are truly worthy of anticipation and excitement.
Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KOs) vs Carlos Quintana (27-2, 21 KOs)
Welcome back Andre Berto. I just wanted to get that shout-out out of the way. As you all know, Berto skipped his fight with Shane Mosley to take care of personal business in the aftermath of the tragic hurricane in his homeland of Haiti. Now he gets a difficult ring assignment in Carlos Quintana on April 10.
On the surface, this appears to be a showcase matchup to promote Berto’s hyper-kinetic reflexes against a fading veteran. But don’t be fooled. Carlos Quintana is no pushover. I actually give Quintana advantages in key areas such as competition, defense and ring generalship. However, I do not believe that these advantages will be enough to defeat the younger, fresher Berto.
Look for Andre Berto to use his much quicker hands and much quicker feet to out-hustle Carlos Quintana. But it won’t be easy. Just ask Paul Williams.
Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs) vs Sergio Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs)
One week after Berto-Quintana, Sergio Martinez travels to Kelly Pavlik’s "home away from home" in Atlantic City, New Jersey to try to take Pavlik’s middleweight title away. This fight has all of the makings of a fight of the year candidate. It’s the classic boxer (Martinez) versus puncher (Pavlik).
If you know anything about me, you know that I usually favor the boxer over the puncher in superfights. Kelly Pavlik will have the crowd behind him, since many of his Youngstown, Ohio fanatics will undoubtedly make the trip to Jersey to watch their favorite son defend his crown. Additionally, Pavlik is the naturally bigger man, packs a heavier wallop, has fought slightly better competition, and probably has the better chin.
Sergio Martinez has some of the fastest hands and feet in the business. Combine that with his natural feel inside the ring and his sneaky punching power, and you have a pound-for-pound caliber fighter. Yes, he’s that good and he’s my pick here. I say this with caution though. Pavlik’s power and Martinez’s knack for dropping his hands scare me.
But when it is all said and done, I am going with the mild upset. I am predicting Sergio Martinez to win a highly-competitive, split decision against Kelly Pavlik, wresting the middleweight title away in the process.
Really you like Martinez? This guy has never won a big fight and his claim to fame is a loss to Williams, Margarito and a Draw with Cintron? I don’t know much about Martinez but I know Pavlik is alot better than Cintron. Props to him for hanging in for 12 rounds with Williams.
I think Pavlik still has alot of upside and will once again be at the top of his division again if he is not still there.
I am not going to agree with you Ja on this one. But your the Man in the predictions, not me. You will be legendary should you get this right too.
Jeff, styles make fights. Yes, it’s over-used but it’s so damn accurate.
Pavlik hasn’t shown me much since his win against Taylor in their first fight. I think even in the rematch he looked sluggish at 168 and Taylor actually won his fair share of rounds against him. We know how awful he looked against Hopkins (and in hindsight, looking at Hopkins recent fights; that’s looking worse by the minute). And besides that, he’s feasted on cream puffs. This is Pavlik’s first tough fight in awhile. Sure, Martinez technically has not won any of his super fights, but we all know he KO’d Cintron and easily could’ve gotten the nod against Paul Williams (although I had the Punisher winning 7 rounds to 5).
I just think his speed and movement may baffle Pavlik, who hasn’t fought/won at the highest level in awhile either.
I am just worried about Martinez’s chin and how he responds to Pavlik’s power. But that’s only if he gets caught square. We shall see.
Your right Ja. Styles make fights. I like how you stick your neck out all time, go against the odds. I don’t know these two fighters as well as you. How about a Lucien Bute Prediction? and I love how your staying away from Holyfield Botha.
I will be in Vegas for the Mosley Mayweather fight. Can’t wait.
Jeff, thanks for the props.
Why would I make such an easy prediction as Bute-Miranda. That should be easy work for Bute.
That’s mad cool, you’re gonna be there…going with a crew of folks…should be a blast…just hope the fight is exciting. I think it will be though.
Ja is never wrong. End of story.
Thanks for the props, but I ain’t that good. I’m pretty good though Lucio. 🙂 My predictions skills will be put to the test this month though. Berto-Quintana, Pavlik-Martinez, Kessler-Froch and Adamek-Arreola are all pretty evenly-matched bouts. This month is boxing at it’s freaking best! I’m hyped.
@Jeff, I dont think Sergio hung in there, most people, most people that seriously follow boxing, they give Serio the Win in that fight,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ1aeJqai2U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRFL3SEPESM
I am going Sergio in this fight and have done so with a large amount of money by WIN, the first few rounds will be highly interesting, if sergio gets pavliks timing then this could be a mistmatch.
I wonder if he’s pissed because he is a Sergio Fan or he just lost some money? I think I comment, that he had never see one Sergio fight prior to this gave it away.
I really don’t know what to make of it. I am sticking with my boy Pavlik. I am almost afraid to go against Ja. Looks like I might have lesson coming to me.
Well the Berto fight was not even close.
Now we can debate Pavlik Martinez. Did you see the Holyfied Botha. What a joke.
Yes, I was shocked Berto destroyed him like that. Excellent win for Andre.
No care or interest in that Holyfield-Botha fight, even though Evander was my favorite boxer growing up. I just can’t believe he still keeps trudging along, failing to be KO’d (save the Toney anomaly).
One, Thing we can always say about Holyfield. At Least you know he is going to come into a fight in shape. Still looks amazing and at great fighting weight. But yeah, he’s more than washed.
J-Dooley,
Yes, Holyfield is still cut up like a julienne salad…but he’s also so washed up, he should open his own laundromat! lol
nice result for those who had a large bet on sergio the class act, yet to see the fight I am in London and took a nap before the fight and missed it 🙂
bud aka nigel…it was a good scrap…tale of three fights in one…sergio won the early rounds with speed and movement…pavlik scored a flash knockdown and blunted sergio in the middle rounds…then sergio got a second wind and battered and bloodied pavlik for the remanining 4-5 rounds. And the new…