By Niall Doran
This weekend is really the last weekend that fight fans will enjoy any significant action probably until mid to late January, when the boxing world traditionally takes it’s Christmas holidays.
Amir Khan is hoping to bounce back from his devastating KO loss to Danny Garcia against unbeaten Carlos Molina. Khan has new trainer Virgil Hunter (the man who has led Andre Ward to where he is) by his side and claims that he has totally changed his style of fighting to a more patient and deliberate one. Time will tell if this is true, I can remember something similar been said when he got KO’d by Prescott, but hey everyone deserves another chance. Molina really isn’t really a fully fledged light welterweight so I’d look for Khan to do a job on him.
Also stateside this weekend Nonito Donaire & Guillermo Rigondeaux are both in action but unfortunately not against one another. Donaire squares off against Jorge Arce and Rigondeaux faces the man who effectively retired Bernard Dunne – Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym. I’d expect Rigondeaux & Doniare to come through these comfortably and hopefully we finally see the two face each other in 2013, as I believe them to be the two best super bantamweights in the world today.
Back in the UK, Boxnation are putting on a great card this weekend that was meant to be headlined by Ricky Burns who unfortunately has had to withdraw due to a late opponent withdrawal. However there is still same fantastic action in store. Billy Joe Saunders defends his Commonwealth title against the very tough and game Nick Blackwell. Saunders has really come on in the last year and will be interesting to see again how much he has improved. The big one on the night however has to be George Groves v Glen Johnson. Say what you will about Johnson being over the hill (which to be honest he is), he is still a problem for anyone inside a boxing ring as long as he boxes. The man is just plain tough and will have a few veteran tricks up his sleeve for Groves no doubt.
During the week there was great news that major broadcaster in the states CBS announced they once again are going to screen live boxing. This will put boxing back on free terrestrial television in America for the first time since 1997 when Bernard Hopkins defeated Glen Johnson! This follows suit to an announcement recently in the UK that – Sky Channel Loaded would screen live boxing. This is great news for boxing as once again mass audiences will now be able to watch our great sport for free which can only help the sport grow once again!