NBC Sports Net Quick Picks

Curtis Stevens vs. Patrick Majewski: Perhaps the most notable boxer fighting this weekend is Curtis "Showtime" Stevens (25-4, 18 KO).  Stevens really made a name for himself last year when he knocked Saul Roman out in the 1st round on NBC Sports Net.  Stevens followed that up by doing something most fighters are unwilling to do, he stepped into the ring with Gennady Golovkin whom he lost to bout showed a ton of heart against.  Now Stevens will be back on NBC Sports Net, this time taking on Patrick Majewski (21-2, 13 KO) in a 10 round bout in the middleweight division.  At this point in his career Stevens is all he is going to be.  He isn't a great defensive fighter and doesn't have an amazing chin but he does have a lot of heart.  Stevens also has a ton of power and loves to throw the thunder.  Majewski is a totally different type of fighter.  He is long and lanky while Stevens is very short and compact and his fighting style is also much different.  While Majewski's hands aren't as fast or as heavy as Stevens he is a superior boxer.   While Stevens likes to trudge forward and fight on the inside Majewski likes to use his reach to jab and stay on the outside.  Whoever controls the pace and style of the fight should come out victorious.  If Stevens can bully Majewski and make this a phone booth fight chances are he will win but if Majewski can stay on the outside he has a chance to outbox Stevens and win the fight.  I think that Majewski's long reach will give Stevens some problems early but Majewski doesn't have the hand speed to keep Stevens off of him for 10 rounds.  Stevens will be able to get inside during the middle rounds and knock Majewski out in the 8th.

Thabiso Mchunu vs. Olanrewaju Durodola: The other fight on this card is headlined by Thabiso Mchunu (14-1, 10 KO) a fighter who made a name for himself during his last fight when he easily outpointed Eddie Chambers.  Mchunu will be facing Olanrewaju Durodola (17-1, 16 KO) who is a late fill-in for the injured Garrett Wilson.  Mchunu looked very good against Chambers, he was calm and smart defensively and uses a pretty solid shoulder roll to keep many punches from landing clean.  Mchunu is very fluid in the ring and has very good footwork.  That footwork along with a strong jab allows Mchunu to control the pace of his fights and outbox his opponents.  Mchunu will really need to be sharp on Friday night if he wants to outbox the slugging Durodola.  Durodola isn't just a slugger though, he was skilled enough to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.  Still, Durodola is relatively unknown by most boxing fans and he has only been fighting professionally since 2011.  Being that Durodola stays so active one thing is for sure, he will enter the ring in excellent shape.  Also most of Durodola's knockouts have come very early so he will probably bum rush Mchunu to start the fight and end his night before it can really start.  I expect the first few rounds of this fight to be the most competitive of the fight.  Durodola will start off fast and try to land some thunder and may be successful.  However Mchunu won't take to long to figure him out and should be able to outbox the slugger after the first few rounds.  I expect Mchunu to win an exciting fight by the way of unanimous decision.