Fight Preview (October 26th)

Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat 

On Saturday night on Showtime one man will try to defy father time once again.  That man goes by the name Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins and he will be trying to beat two opponents, age, and Karo Murat.  The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds in the light heavyweight division for Hopkin's title belt.    Hopkins is clearly the bigger name in the fight but Murat will be looking to make a statement in his first fight in the United States which could make him dangerous.

Hopkins had an easy time against Cloud

Hopkins has been very up and down in his last five fights.  His record in those fights is 2-1-1 with 1 no contest.  He fought Jean Pascal twice getting a draw and then a win, then he fought Chad Dawson twice getting a no contest and a bad loss in a fight that saw him finally look old.  Then he stepped into the ring against Tavoris Cloud and looked very sharp en route to a unanimous decision win.  Now Hopkins looks to keep winning against the somewhat unknown Murat.

At 48 years old Hopkin's best days are clearly behind him but that doesn't mean the future Hall of Famer can't still be highly effective.  Hopkins was never a knockout artist or slick boxer, instead he has relied on his exceptionally high boxing IQ and questionable tactics.  That's not to say Hopkins is a dirty fighter but he certainly toes the line.  He likes to make fights sloppy and frustrates his opponents with his superb defense and frequent clinches.  Hopkins has a career record of 53-6-2 with 32 knockouts and his win against Cloud was even more impressive considering his advanced age.  In the past fighters have gotten very old seemingly between rounds but because Hopkins has always kept himself in excellent shape and has never taken a tremendous amount of punishment he should be able to beat father time once again and maybe even Murat in the process.

Murat will try to score the upset

Murat will do his best to beat the ageless Hopkins in what will be his debut in the United States.  Murat is German and most of his fights have been in his home country.  Just because Murat isn't well known in the U.S. that doesn't mean he hasn't been in some high level fights.  Most notably he lost to Nathan Cleverly in 2010 and fought to a draw against Gabriel Campillo in 2011.  Murat's career record is 25-1-1 with 15 knockouts and this fight against Hopkins will be the biggest of his career.  

Murat isn't the most skilled fighter in the world and doesn't do anything particularly well.  However he does do everything well enough to stay in fights.  Murat likes to fight on the inside where he can make use of his best weapon, his body punching.  Murat is basically a come forward type fighter who doesn't have quick feet and doesn't move around the ring very well which probably won't help him beat Hopkins.  Being that this is Murat's first fight on U.S. soil the moment could prove to be to big for him and he may try to press the action to much.  If he wants to beat a ring genius like Hopkins he will need to fight better than he ever has.

This fight won't be one you tell your grand kids about and probably won't be all that exciting.  Murat doesn't seem fast enough to be able to bother Hopkins and he doesn't have the power to knock him out but his solid body punching could really help him.  If Murat constantly goes to the body against the much older Hopkins he could wear him down and take advantage of him during the championship rounds, but don't hold your breath.  At this point in Hopkins career fans aren't really tuning in to watch a great fight, they tune in to see if a 48 year old man can keep beating fighters half his age and if he can keep father time at bay.  It isn't always fun to watch but it is amazing nonetheless.

PREDICTION: Bernard Hopkins will not only beat father time but also Karo Murat.  This fight won't be pretty and Hopkins should be able to smother Murat's inside punches en route to a unanimous decision win.

Peter Quillin vs. Gabriel Rosado 

If the main event of Showtime's card won't be the most exciting then the fight between Peter Quillin and Gabriel Rosado should more than make up for it.  It will be a 12 round bout in the middleweight division for Quillin's title.  Both men are known for going to war and displaying a ton of heart.  This fight may not be getting a ton of buzz with casual boxing fans but hardcore fans are well aware that it has the ingredients to be a fight of the year candidate.

Kid Chocolate is quickly becoming must see TV

Quillin who goes by the nickname "Kid Chocolate" isn't talked about as much as fellow middleweight knockout artist Gennady Golovkin but that should change shortly.  Quillin is simply an all action fighter  which was never more evident than his fight against Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam in 2012.  Quillin dropped N'Jikam six times on his way to a unanimous decision win, a win that made many fans take notice.  Then in his last fight against Fernando Guerrero, Quillin dropped him four times and scored the technical knockout.  

Quillin has a perfect record of 29-0 with 21 knockouts but Rosado will probably be the toughest opponent he has faced.  Quillin likes to throw a lot of punches and can fight effectively from both the inside and outside, but chances are that this fight takes place in a phone booth.  Quillin has big time power but shouldn't rely on just that and headhunt all night, if he can work both to the head and body he may be able to stop Rosado.

Rosado was bloodied but never quit

Rosado's most notable fight came against one of the biggest punchers in the sport, Golovkin.  That fight saw Rosado badly bloodied but he never stopped throwing punches and coming forward.  Rosado showed so much heart but was being badly beaten until his corner thankfully threw in the towel.  That is the type of fighter Rosado is, he never quits no matter what happens to him and is always fun to watch.  That type of of fighting style will earn a fighter a lot of fans but against Quillin it could be his downfall.

Rosado's record is 21-6 with 13 knockouts and he has been in many brutal fights.  He has fought sluggers Alfredo Angulo, Jesus Soto Karass, and the aforementioned Golovkin and while some of those fights haven't gone his way they have earned him a ton of respect.  Much like Quillin, Rosado can fight on the inside as well as the outside but usually prefers to exchange at close range.  However Rosado may have learned his lesson from when he went toe to toe with Golovkin and may choose to use his feet to move around the ring and try landing from the outside against Quillin.

Even if Rosado tries to move more than usual this fight should end up being a brawl.  These are the type of fighters that just can't help themselves when it comes to a brawl.  The action should be fast and heavy and fans might want to save the bathroom breaks for the main event.  These two fighters may not be the most skilled but that doesn't mean they don't have a chance to give fans a fight they won't forget.

PREDICTION: The difference in skill level between these two fighters isn't miles apart but there is a reason Peter Quillin is undefeated and Gabriel Rosado has six losses.  Quillin just has more weapons at his disposal and should be able to effectively use them on his way to a 9th round stoppage.

Deontay Wilder vs. Nicolai Firtha 

The fight that will kickoff Showtime's tripleheader is more of a showcase than a real fight.  It features America's best heavyweight prospect Deontay Wilder, the last American boxer to medal in the Olympicsm earning a bronze in London and journeyman Nicolai Firtha.  The fight is scheduled for 10 rounds in the heavyweight division but probably won't go the distance.

Wilder may be America's only hope

Wilder is an absolute beast.  He is a throwback to glory days of the heavyweight division when fighters were always in great shape and reminds some of a prime Joe Frazier.  Not only is Wilder a physical specimen but he also has the height, 6'7'' to compete against the Klitschko's, which is way he is America's best shot at reclaiming the heavyweight title.  

Wilder has special power in his punches, he can hurt his man with a power punch or even a jab.  In his last fight against Siargei Liakhovich he knocked him out and had him convulsing on the canvass in a very scarey scene.  However Wilder isn't just a big puncher as evident by his bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics.  His career record is a perfect one of 29-0 with an unreal 29 knockouts.  At this point in his career Wilder needs to get more rounds in and a win against Firtha will surely see him take a step up in his level of competition.  Unfortunately Firtha isn't the type of fighter that can give Wilder a hard time so Wilder probably won't be getting many rounds in.

Firtha always comes into the ring out of shape

Firtha is a stepping stone fighter.  What makes him a stepping stone for other fighters is his lack of power and chin.  Firtha's career record is 21-10-1 with only 8 knockouts, a very low number for a heavyweight.  Some of the fighters who have used Firtha as a showcase fight are Alexander Povetkin and Tyson Fury and both stepped up their competition level after beating him.  Firtha has also been knocked out four times and that may be partially because he never steps into the ring in good physical shape, in fact he usually enters the ring will a fully flooded basement.  If Firtha gets out of the 1st round against Wilder he should feel good about himself.

This fight is simply a showcase for the very talented Wilder.  It won't help Wilder get rounds under his belt and test his chin but it still should be fun to watch.  As soon as the opening bell rings Wilder has the chance to knock his man out whenever he enters the ring so this fight probably won't last long.  The future is bright for Wilder but he needs to start facing tougher opponents if he really wants to be taken seriously and earn a title shot.

PREDICTION: Deontay Wilder should end this fight very, very quickly although it may not be in the 1st round like his last fight.  I expect Wilder to win this fight by the way of 3rd round knockout, and it should be another spectacular one.