Hopkins, Booth, borin' Brian...

[bennie]

Kendall Holt now defends his WBO light-welterweight title against fellow American Demetrius Hopkins in Atlantic City this weekend, in one of those strangely losable fights. Hopkins steps up after Colombian puncher Ricardo Torres cried off a few days ago. Holt has proved something of a nemesis to Torres.
The 28-year-old Hopkins, nephew of Bernard, was due to appear on the card in any case and will be in shape. He is unbeaten in 29 outings since turning pro eight years ago and actually fights very much like the old Executioner, picking off his opponents in cute, dangerous, often lazy spurts. Hopkins has been outworked a few times and looked desperately lucky to get the nod over Contender star Steve Forbes in a 12-rounder last year but found a beautiful right hand to finish Michael Warrick in the ninth round of a dreary affair (up to then), sending Warrick face-first to the canvas in 2006. The draw on his record is a technical one back in 2001.
The tall Hopkins has not fought at all this year so far and presumably concedes sharpness to the slick, 27-year-old champion, who has fought twice. Hopkins was said to have 'bottled out' of a showdown with Junior Witter in Nottingham in May (Tim Bradley travelled instead). Still, Hopkins looks to have a chance. Holt, not a huge puncher, can be tagged.


A British title fight on the Darren Barker bill in Brentwood this Saturday pairs Brian Magee and Stevie McGuire for the super-middleweight crown vacated by Nottingham sensation and new WBC super-middleweight kingpin Carl Froch.
Southpaw Magee, who once went 11 rounds with Froch and has been sparring Arthur Abraham over in Germany, is not the most dazzling fighter in the world but strong, steady and skilful - he knows how to get the job done. In 35 fights the Belfast man has lost only to Froch, Robin Reid and Vitali Typsko. He is unbeaten in seven outings, including a 12-round draw with Tony Oakey, since the formidable, heavy handed Froch wore him down at York Hall in May 2006. Magee outboxed Froch in several of the rounds, although Froch broke a hand early.
McGuire is much less proven but the tall, strong-looking Scot looks a good prospect and is unbeaten in 14 outings since turning pro in November 2003 (one draw), including decent decisions over Joe Calzaghe sparmate Nathan King in a 10-rounder (it was close) and slippery Northampton man Paul David in a six-rounder. He's boxed only three times outside of Scotland, though, and was held to that draw in Hartlepool by Blackpool-based Slovakian Richard Turba in one of them (six rounds).
Still, McGuire is unbeaten, hungry, six years the younger man at 27 - he deserves respect, although one ultimately sides with the more experienced Magee.



Manchester's Craig Watson defends his Commonwealth welterweight title against Nottingham's Adnan Amar on a big Dublin bill on December 18 in a battle of rangy, slippery, sharp-boxing types.
Watson, a southpaw from Manchester, won the title with an upset cuts stoppage of Namibia's Ali Nuumbembe a year ago in Wigan. It was a fight he was 'bossing' until Nuumbembe was pulled out in the eighth round. Watson retained with a solid decision over Ricky Hatton's little brother, Matthew, earlier this year in Manchester and looks to be flourishing at 25. He can only get better.
Amar is no mug. He earned his chance by outscoring Telford's Mark Lloyd in a 10-rounder in Nottingham in May for the English welterweight crown and, one of those nightmare switch-hitters, makes it difficult for the best of them. He lacks Watson's strength and pedigree, however, given the champion floored Amir Khan in the amateurs and holds a holds a win as a pro over Michael Lomax, recent surprise winner of welterweight Prizefighter. Amar will take some breaking down but Watson has to be favoured to finish strongly for the points.
Also on the card Nottingham's Jason Booth defends his Commonwealth bantamweight crown against Yorkshire threat Sean Hughes.
Booth won the title with a nine-round stoppage of talented Welshman Matthew Edmonds last December in Wigan and retained with a solid decision over Ghana's Lante Addey in Nottingham in March. After long and equally successful stints at flyweight and super-flyweight, the 31-year-old Booth is tough, clever and massively experienced, as he showed against a 23-year-old Edmonds, who got off to a great start before Booth took over.
Still, the champion has endured more than his fair share of wars down the years and might, just might, be ready for the taking by someone like Hughes, a 26-year-old, smooth-boxing southpaw from Pontefract with good recent form. Last November in Nottingham Hughes pulled off a shock but thoroughly deserved eight-round decision over then British super-bantamweight champion Esham Pickering, which earned him a quick rematch for the title. This time Pickering came good in nine hard-fought rounds but Hughes proved himself over the two fights (and in an earlier fight with Billy Corcoran) and is bound to be competitive. He also enjoys real height and reach on the champion.
Much depends on Booth's freshness. He struggled a little against slippery Welshman Dai Davies in a non-title encounter in June, emerging by one point on the referee's card. While the slick veteran must be favoured, I have a feeling "Short Fuse" Hughes could snatch the belt.
Irish amateur star Darren Sutherland turns pro on the bill in a six-rounder against Georgi Iliev. The 26-year-old Sutherland, who holds four wins over James DeGale, lost to DeGale, crucially, in the Olympic semis earlier this year at middleweight. Still, Darren picked up a coveted medal and looks set for a bright future under Crayford promoter Frank Maloney and starts out with the customary 'Selvin Bell' of an opponent.
The bill is headed by Rendall Munroe's defence of his European super-bantamweight title against Italian Fabrizio "Popeye" Trotta. Munroe is a long way from his native Leicester (and his bin-round) but has the size and strength to outpoint the tough challenger.
Bitter rival Bernard Dunne will be at ringside, no doubt. Team Dunne has taken offence to Munroe invading its 'manor'.

[Poncey]

Don't forget this is on TV guys:
20:40 Brian Magee v Steve McGuire British Super-Middleweight Title ITV4 (20:40-23:40) More
20:40 Darren Barker v Jason McKay Commonwealth Super-Middleweight Title ITV4 (20:40-23:40)

[Dirk Kelly]

Why can't British promoters follow the US lead and have a decent undercard with decent names and should a boxer pull out of a main event they have someone on the undercard that can step up and save the show.

[Datsue]

Why can't British promoters follow the US lead and have a decent undercard with decent names and should a boxer pull out of a main event they have someone on the undercard that can step up and save the show.

To be fair, this is a one-off. Over on the Current Scene (spits) they were saying that this is the best last minute replacement they'd ever seen, at least since Klitschko stepped in to save the show versus Lewis.