Don't Miss Super Saturday
 By Ian Keogh (March 2, 2007) Doghouse Boxing (Photo © German Villasenor)
If you're a fight fan, whether it's boxing, MMA or both you've got your work cut out for you this Saturday. March 3 is a big night in the fight world, three cards are facing off in what has amounted to a triple threat network match. In one corner, HBO World Championship Boxing featuring undefeated welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto facing Okaty Urkal and in a very attractive under card fight, two of boxing’s youngest guns Allan Green and Edison Miranda face off in a middleweight bout live from Cotto's native Puerto Rico. In another corner, UFC 68: The Uprising. Heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia headlines against former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture. Accompanying the heavyweight title fight is a host of other fights including the returns of former champions Rich Franklin and Matt Hughes in separate bouts. And finally, last but definitely not least we have Showtime championship boxing. Live from Carson, CA, world super bantamweight champion Israel Vasquez takes on the #1 bantamweight in the world and long time titleholder Rafael Marquez. On the under card undefeated flyweight titleholder Vic Darchinyan faces former titleholder Victor Burgos. So what does a fight fan do? In today’s age of Tivo and the internet it's easy enough to catch all the fights but which card will you watch live? Read on for a breakdown of each event
and maybe your decision will come to you easier.
HBO World Championship boxing: Miguel Cotto vs Oktay Urkal
Live from San Juan, Puerto Rico, welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto makes a mandatory defense of his trinket against the undeserving Oktay Urkal of Germany. This fight is viewed as a gimme for Cotto as he looks forward to a bigger fight in June with Zab Judah. Cotto has beaten every fighter put in front of him and after crushing Carlos Quintana in his welterweight debut last December Cotto has entered Ring magazines top 10 pound for pound. Urkal on the other hand has ‘earned’ this title shot after going 2-0 in 2006 against fighters with records of 1-9 and 2-4-1. This fight has CAN miss written all over it as Cotto should dispose of Urkal whenever he so chooses. The only reason worth watching HBO this Saturday is for the match-up between Allan Green and Edison Miranda. Both fighters are young, undefeated and are predicting highlight reel knockouts of the other fighter. Miranda has been in with the better opposition thus far in his career but Green will certainly provide a stern challenge. Expect fireworks early and a ten count from the referee inside 5 rounds.
Grade: C+. Cotto in with and undeserving, aging fighter brings down the grade.
UFC 68: The Uprising
Live from Columbus Ohio the red hot UFC brings us another pay per view event. UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia defends his title against Randy Couture in a bout that has many wondering just why Couture has come out of retirement? While Sylvia might not be the most skilled or exciting fighter in the heavyweight division, his size alone makes him a tough out for any fighter. Standing 6'8 and weighing 265lbs, Sylvia will hold enormous advantages in height and weight and it would appear Couture’s best and only shot at winning would be to take the big man down and go to work. Sylvia has shown a good sprawl in recent fights and one has to wonder just how can the 43 year old former champion win this fight? On a huge under card featuring 8 fights, former champions Rich Franklin and Matt Hughes return to the octagon for their first time since losing their respective titles in the biggest fights on the under card. Hughes faces off against Chris Lytle while Franklin faces Jason MacDonald. Both former champions are the favorite in each fight and for good reason. Despite losing their titles in they're last fights the two former champions are excellent mixed martial artists and are capable of beating any fighter in their weight classes. Lytle and MacDonald are good fighters but they'll each be facing up hill battles against the former champions. Expect both underdogs to give good accounts of themselves but to most likely come up short. If there is an upset to happen look for it to come from Canadian Jason MacDonald whose upset two UFC fighters in his last two bouts. Brought in as the opponent MacDonald fought as anything but in choking out both Ed Herman and Chris Leban.
Grade: B. Interesting match-ups and good number of televised fights make this show worth watching. Major drawback is the pay-per-view cost of $35-$40 depending on where you live.
Showtime Championship boxing: Israel Vasquez vs Rafael Marquez
When world super bantamweight champion Israel Vasquez looks across the ring Saturday night not only will he see the consensus bantamweight world champion he'll also face the best fighter he's ever been in with. Vasquez vs Marquez is the kind of fight that has boxing fans buzzing and expecting a war. Two Mexican warriors who fight with the pride of a country behind them. Both fighters stated they would die in the ring for victory and they almost certainly mean it. Vasquez and Marquez can both crack, can both be hurt and dropped and can most importantly fight through adversity. Expect a fight of the year candidate and the fans at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California to be treated to a great fight. In the opening bout of the evening on Showtime flyweight titleholder Vic Darchinyan faces former titleholder Victor Burgos. With over 50 fights spanning a 13 year career it's tough for this writer to imagine Burgos surviving against the bigger and stronger Darchinyan. Darchinyan boils down to 112 pounds but could probably fight two or three divisions above it. Look for Darchinyan to score a knockout victory against the over matched Burgos. It should also be noted that this is another example of Showtime outdoing HBO. While HBO has been serving up average fights and hard to swallow pay-per-view shows Showtime has continued to live up to their "great fights, no rights" statement and have delivered very good match-ups. HBO has the bigger budget, name fighters and larger subscription numbers but Showtime continues to shine the brightest.
Grade: A. Vasquez vs Marquez is a can't miss fight. Don't have Showtime? Drive somewhere that does, steal your neighbour’s satellite or call your cable provider and get it. Add in arguably the worlds best flyweight in a showcase fight and this is a can't miss show.
In the end the decision lies with you dear reader, it's your time and your money. For what it's worth I'll be watching Showtime, recording HBO and waiting for my brother to bring me the UFC Sunday morning. Cheers for reading!
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