Quillin W PTS 12 N'Dam: 'Kid Chocolate' scores six knockdowns in close fight

Up and down: Even though he suffered 6 knockdowns N'Dam never gave up
fighting

By Peter Wells: If you didn't watch last night’s fight between Peter Quillin and Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam, then you must be wondering how a fighter can score six knockdowns and still be in a close fight. Well the scorecards say it all, 115-107 across the board for Quillin, in a fight that had three 10-7 rounds in favour of the Cuban-American. Had it not been for those knockdowns then the fight would have been scored 115-113 to Quillin, or the fight could have easily been a draw, as in the 12th round he was in control before suffering the two knockdowns that ultimately ended any slim chance of an amazing comeback. 

The fight was fought at a brisk pace, as both boxers took it in turns to take the front foot. Both looked better when they fought on the front foot, but it was Quillin who made the biggest impact with his powerful left hook.

I had Quillin 2-1 up in rounds going into the fourth, the round that really changed the fight. Quillin had N’Dam on the ropes when he landed a gorgeous left hook, sending the Cameroonian born fighter to the canvas. The shot sent chills down my spine and it was amazing to see N’Dam survive. Quillin went for the kill, showing great killer instinct. Another left hook sent N’Dam down but again he was up quickly and had the look of a man who had just suffered a flash knockdown. N’Dam survived the round but I instantly thought the fight wouldn’t go much longer.



New Champ: Peter 'Kid Chocolate' Quillin

N’Dam though proved me wrong and may have taken the 5^th, although I gave it to Quillin, as he seemed to have that extra snap in his punches. Then in the 6^th, Quillin exploded again, knocking N’Dam down with another huge left hook, before a right hand sent N’Dam down for a fourth time. Some referees may have stopped the fight, but thankfully this one didn’t, the main reason being that every time N’Dam rose to his feet he didn’t show any signs of being hurt. Once again he clung on, and once again I predicted Quillin would end it in the next.

You guessed it, N’Dam proved me wrong again, this time coming back with a very positive round of his own which he clearly won. N’Dam backed Quillin to the ropes and worked well with his fast hands, but lacked Quillin’s explosive power.

I had N’Dam winning the 7^th,8^th,9^th and 10^th, which set up a great final two rounds. It seemed though that Quillin could hurt N’Dam when he liked but for some reason insisted on sticking to the back foot, and throwing very little. In the 11^th he showed some urgency, taking the fight back to N’Dam. In the final round, N’Dam went for it, leaving plenty of gaps for Quillin to counter. N’Dam was winning the round before another explosive left sent him to the canvas. It was a picture perfect counter punch, which ended any chance of a dramatic turn-around. N’Dam went down again, which he felt was a slip, but the fight was already finished.

It was a hugely courageous effort from N’Dam who proved his worth on the world scene, in a division rich with talent. A fight between N’Dam and Matthew Macklin would make a lot of sense, and that could be a cracker. Quillin took N’Dam’s WBO Middleweight title but the N’Dam sure wasn’t giving it up without a fight.



Dominant: Alexander is in control all fight

That is unlike former IBF Welterweight champion Randall Bailey who lost his title to Devon Alexander without even putting up a fight. Alexander dominated every round, even though the judges somehow gave some rounds to Bailey. The judges gave Bailey 3,4 and 5 rounds respectively, everyone who watched it are clueless as to what Bailey did to deserve even one round.

Devon Alexander did what he had to do, taking no risks against a man that was only looking for one shot that was never going to come. Kell Brook is now Devon’s mandatory challenger, but Brook shouldn’t use this fight to judge Alexander. When he’s pushed, Alexander can be a world class fighter, who is very hard to beat.

Jacobs TKO 1 Luteran: Danny Jacobs makes miracle return to the ring after battle with cancer



'Miracle Man': Jacobs puts himself in the history books with his
dramatic return to the ring

By Peter Wells: On an amazing card in Brooklyn the fans were treated to some exhilarating action in some quite brilliant world title bouts. Daniel Jacobs wasn't fighting for a belt last night, but his return to the ring after beating cancer last year is worth more than any belt. Jacobs has inspired many across the globe and there really was only one man the fans wanted to see win Saturday night at the Barclays Center.

Jacobs returned with a stunning first round knockout of a decent fighter in Josh Luteran (13-2). It was as if he'd never been away from the ring, showing his ability to throw neat combinations, and a lethal finish. Luteran went down from a big one-two and took a while to get up before he was helped to his feet. After celebrating his victory, Jacobs was quick to ask if his opponent was "okay".

In 2011, Daniel Jacobs was told by doctors that he would never box again, but Jacobs has a warriors heart and coming so close to death has only made him stronger. His ultimate goal is to win a world title, and I doubt there's a boxing fan out there that wouldn't want the same. For now he's still rebuilding and the first block was laid down with quite a bang!

Garcia-Morales + Undercard: Something for everyone

Monster show: Golden Boy prove they know how to put on a show

By Peter Wells: With just over two months left of the year, boxing fans are suddenly being handed early Christmas presents as week after week world title fights are swarming our TV's. On Saturday night Golden Boy have delivered boxing fans with 4 world title fights on one single card. And there's something for everyone. Danny Garcia headlines defending his WBC and WBA titles in a rematch with Erik Morales. Paulie Malignaggi defends his WBA Welterweight title in front of his home fans against Pablo Cesar Cano. Hot prospect, Peter 'Kid Chocolate' Quillin takes on unbeaten WBO Middleweight champion Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam and what could be the fight of the night, Devon Alexander challenges hard hitting IBF Welterweight champion Randall Bailey. So, what isn't to like about this weekends super show live on Showtime.
 
Danny Garcia is coming off a massive victory over Amir Khan, shocking the favourite in 4 rounds. Before Garcia landed a fight changing punch midway through the 3rd, Khan had dominated the fight, utilising his fast hands to make it seem that Khan was going to make a statement. Instead it was Garcia who made a statement, making him hot property in an already hot division.
 
Last time out Garcia beat Mexican legend Erik Morales comfortably on a points decision, but Morales claims he was suffering gall bladder problems in the build up to the fight which disrupted his training camp. A fully fit Morales may offer more of a threat but the pick is for Garcia to repeat his victory in similar fashion. 


Hometown hero: Malignaggi has the fans on his side for once

It's not often that Paulie Malignaggi has a hometown crowd behind him, but that will be the case tomorrow night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Malignaggi returns from Ukraine to defend his newly acquired WBA Welterweight title after an eye opening 9th round stoppage victory over the undefeated Vyacheslav Senchenko.

His challenger Pablo Cesar Cano may offer a small threat, but nothing more as the pick is for the rejuvenated 'Magic Man' to take a shut out unanimous decision.
 
Despite being the champion, Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam is not the fighter being talked about ahead of this WBO Middleweight title clash. Instead it is the rising star, Peter Quillin who is getting all the attention that is usually given to the champion. Both fighters are 27-0, but it is Quillin who has fought the better opposition, including Hall of Fame bound Winky Wright.



Alexander The Great: Devon needs to live up to his nickname tommorow

Although Quillin is the big favourite don't expect the Cameroonian born fighter to give his title up easily. The pick is for Quillin to take an early lead before coming through a last attempt from N'Jikam to save his title to take a points verdict.


The final title bout on the card could well be the best, as champion Randall Bailey defends against Devon Alexander. Bailey is a veteran of the sport but showed why he is still a feared fighter when knocking out the unbeaten Mike Jones in the 11th round. Jones was up on points and on the verge of winning the vacant IBF title, but Bailey made Jones his 37th knockout victim.
 
To beat the slick Devon Alexander he may have to score his 38th knockout of his career. Alexander moved up to Welterweight after losing via technical decision to Timothy Bradley. In his debut he dominated big puncher Marcos Maidana over 10 rounds.


Brooklyn's Finest: Jacobs returns from battle with cancer while Qullin
fights for his first world title

Alexander should be too quick for older Bailey in the first half of the fight, and should continue to build on his lead as the fight goes on. Alexander throws a lot of punches and they usually have some snap on them. Bailey has been stopped 3 times in 7 defeats and the bold pick is for Alexander to stop the 38 year old in the final quarter of the fight.

Despite all of that the man who will take all the limelight, is Daniel Jacobs. In 2011 Jacobs found out he had a tumour on his spine, which was making walking impossible. Jacobs was days away from death, yet tomorow night he returns to the ring in one of the most incredible sporting comebacks in history. If anyone was born to be a fighter, it was Daniel Jacobs, an inspiration to people all around the world.

No matter who Daniel Jacobs faces in the future, he can never be worried, because he's already defeated his biggest opponent.



Kell Brook-Hector Saldivia: Brook's final step to World title

Almost there: Brook and Saldivia are on the brink of a first title shot

By Peter Wells: It's taken 8 years for the Sheffield prospect to get to the edge of a world title fight. Tomorrow night Kell Brook fights in a final eliminator for the IBF Welterweight title. Brook has gone as far as stating that he will retire if he loses to Hector Saldivia at the Motorpoint arena in his hometown of Sheffield. This is likely a comment to build up his fight and over dramatise how important this bout is for his career. For some fighters chances at a world title don't come terribly often so Brook wants to make sure he doesn't miss his chance to book a shot at the IBF title.

Brook may have waited a while for his shot at a world title, but Saldivia has had just as long to wait. Final eliminators also haven't gone well for the Argentinian in the past. On the 1st May 2010 he faced off against Said Ouali in an eliminator for the WBA Welterweight title. Saldivia came out strong scoring an early knockdown, but got too caught up in the moment and went down twice before the referee stepped in to end the fight. Said never got his WBA title shot, instead looking at the IBF route, before losing in 7 rounds last year to Carson Jones.


Not meant to be: Saldivia was stopped in a round in his last eliminator

So this is Saldivia's second eliminator for a world title, and a defeat would probably mean it's his last. Carson Jones who stopped Said Ouali last year gave Brook a hell of a fight earlier this year, coming very close to shattering Brook's title ambitions. Brook hung on in the second half of the fight after suffering a broken nose, and in some rounds gave as much as he took.

Kell Brook can feel more confident coming into this fight after proving his chin and heart against a ferocious puncher. The fact that both defeats that Saldivia has suffered have come by way of stoppage, indicating his defence isn't something to be desired. While Saldivia is taking a step up in competition to face Brook, the same can't be said for Brook. Saldivia doesn't pose as much of a threat as Carson Jones did but should offer Brook a decent challenge. The pick is for Brook to box and move early on, before showing his improved conditioning later in the fight as he starts to put the pressure on Saldivia. Brook can force a late stoppage to set up a shot at the IBF title.

Who Brook or Saldivia will be fighting will be unknown until later the same night when Devon Alexander challenges champion Randall Bailey for the IBF Welterweight title.

Rios TKO 7 Alvarado: Rios and Alvarado produe the fight of the year

Epic: Rios-Alvarado is up there with the greatest fights in history

By Peter Wells: Before the two fighters had even come near to stepping in the ring with each other, the fight was already recieving comparisons to that of the great trilogy between Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward. Talk about pressure to deliver, but for both Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado, this was just another fight for them. Just like Gatti and Ward, they fought the way they always fought, toe-to-toe traded leather until they had battered their opponent into submission.

So no one was surprised when the two engaged at centre ring, but what was surprising was just how good it was. Alvarado used his jab effectively to set up vicous combinations while "Bam Bam" Rios just kept charging forwards slugging away on the inside. Neither fighter wanted to give the other a second to think, but warriors like these dont need time to think, they just 'do'. The only negative I can pull from the fight is that the Nonito Donaire-Toshiaki Nishioka fight that followed never came close to producing the fireworks that the co-main event did. To put it plainly, it raised the level of expectation to high.



Celebration: Rios celebrates him best win yet

Although I missed the first I got the impression that Rios did the better work, getting on the inside early, while Alvarado attempted to establish his jab, as he did all night. Alvarado did well in the second and third rounds, keeping Rios on the outside before pasting him with hard shots. I commented after the third round that Alvarado can hurt Rios, and after the fight he admitted that Alvarado did hurt him with some of his punches. Rios though never showed it, smiling at Alvarado everytime the two finished a trade of punches.

The fight was only just warming up and Rios edged the 4th as the fight started to become a battle of hooks and uppercuts. Body shots were also key for Rios, who was able to slam hooks to Alvarado's ribs to bring his gloves down, opening him up more upstairs. The 5th those was the peak of the fight, a leader for round of the year. Alvarado dished out a lot of punishment in the first half of the round, evening forcing Rios to take momentary steps back. Then Rios got back on the inside and both of the fighters traded for nearly a minute without a break. It was breathtaking stuff, the kind of brilliance that makes you stand up and applaud behind your screen.

When the two fighters stood to start the 6th they both gave each other a grin. They knew they were putting on a show for the crowd, and they were also enjoying it themselves. The 6th couldn't quite live up to the action in the 5th, but it was mightily close as the two got back to trading bombs. At the start of the round Alvarado looked to be taking control of the fight before two big right hands landed flush on Alvarado's chin. It was the first time in the fight that someone looked shaken, but not for long as he resumed firing back. Suddenly it was obvious that the last 3 rounds had become, Rios' rounds. Rios had dragged Alvarado into a slugfest, but for once he wasn't in total control.

Finisher: Rios stops Alvarado in the 7th to leave the fans begging for more

Then in the 7th round, the end came. Never have I been so sad to see the end of a fight in my life. As Rios pilled forward again another monster right hand shook Alvarado to his boots. Rios smelled blood and followed up with a barrage of punches that would have sent a lesser fighter to the canvas. Alvarado tried everything to get out of the way. Finally after another left-right landed flush Pat Russell stepped in to stop the contest. There was no doubt it was a good stoppage, but I couldn't help feeling dissapointed that Alvarado didn't take a knee, but when you're a warrior like Alvarado taking a knee is blasphamy.

It was quite an amazing fight, but Pat Russell reminded us after the fight that a fighters safety comes first. We were given an epic fight but as brutal as boxing is we never wish to see a fighter get hurt. Pat Russell did his job, and did it well.

As for a rematch, well, who wouldn't wish to see that again?

Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado: Excitement Guaranteed

Reading and Willing: Both fighter love to put a show on for the fans

By Peter Wells: While the main event between Toshiaki Nishioka and Nonito Donaire may turn out to be a contender for fight of the year, it still may not be the fight of the night. That's because in the co-main event, Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado, two of the most entertaining fighters in boxing square off in what could very well be one of the greatest fights in a long time.

Both fighters are unbeaten, they have a combined record of 63-0-1 - Brandon Rios drew in a 10 rounder 4 years ago. Not only that but Brandon Rios has 22 knockouts from 30 wins while Alvarado has 23 knockouts from 33 wins. Alvarado's opposition though isn't a shade on Rios', but the way he has dispatched those put in front of him shows he is ready for this step up in class. 16 of those knockouts for Alvarado have come in the first 4 rounds. His most impressive victory came in November last year when he came from behind to stop the tough Breidis Prescott in the final round. Alvarado suffered a horrific laceration on the corner of his upper lip, but battled though, wearing his opponent down before a late stoppage.



Warrior: Despite suffering a horrific cut,
Alvarado fights on

The way he wore down Prescott brings comparisons to the way that Brandon Rios dispatches his opponents. If Rios has ever taken a backward step, I haven't seen it yet. In September 2010 he stepped up his level of opposition when taking on Lamont Peterson's brother, Anthony in an eliminator for the WBA Lightweight title (tonights fight takes place at Light Welterweight). Peterson was floored once and reverted to dirty tactics before being disqualified in 7th round. Miguel Acosta failed to defend his WBA title against the whirlwind that is Brandon Rios. Rios scored 3 knockdowns before the referee finally stepped in. Urbano Antillon lasted just 3 rounds, being unable to keep out of the way of Rios' swarming attacks.

Then things started to go wrong for the fan friendly Rios. He failed to make weight for his title defence against John Murray. He was stripped of his title, while the fight went ahead, but Rios unsurprisingly looked terrible. Rios and Murray fought the fight at close range all night, but it was the power and strength of Rios that won the battle. Murray was mericfully saved from further punishment in the 11th round.

Instead of moving up in weight, Rios tried one more time to retain his WBA title. Once again he failed to make the weight and looked horribly drained come fight night. His opponent Richard Abril boxed brilliantly and looked to have won the fight, but somehow Rios was given the victory by split decision.

Unstoppable: Rios dishes a beating to John Murray

Now at long last Rios has moved up to 140lbs, a packed division, where win or lose tonight he will be guaranteed big fights.

Excluding an early knockout, which I personally doubt will happen, this WILL be a barnstormer. Rios will likely be the one on the front foot, but Alvarado will rarely be out of range. The pick is for Alvarado to start fast and take an early lead. Both fighters may suffer knockdowns in a gruelling contest that will keep the fans on the edge of their seats. It is very unlikely to go the distance and I fancy Rios to bulldoze through and stop Alvarado in the final 2 rounds.

Nonito Donaire-Toshiaki Nishioka: Will it be the return of the Filipino Flash?

Ready for war: Donaire and Nishioka could put on something special

By Peter Wells: Knockout after knockout after knockout. That was what it was like to be Nonito Donaire. Suddenly though a move to Super Bantamweight has halted Donaire's fan pleasing knockout style and suddenly his fights are dragging out into one-sided 12 rounders.

On Saturday night maybe that spark he once possessed will return when he faces his toughest test at Super Bantamweight and may well be his toughest fight of his career. Toshiaki Nishioka may be 36 but is unbeaten since 2004 and has never lost at Super Bantamweight. After two early career defeats he has only lost twice, both defeats at the hands of the fantastic Thailand fighter, Veeraphol Sahaprom, both via unanimous decision. The Japanese fighter has also only ever been stopped once, and that was in his second professional fight back in 1995.

The former WBC champion, who had his title stripped after he couldn't fight his mandatory challenger due to personal problems, has beaten many top quality fighters including; Jhonny Gonzalez, Ivan Hernandez, Rafael Marquez and Britain's most famous binman, Rendall Munroe.


Destroyer: Donaire at his destructive best against Fernando Montiel

If nothing else, the fans will hope that this is an entertaining fight. They will be hoping that Donaire will return to his powerful best when confronted by another elite fighter. That is no disrespect to Vazquez Jr, Narveaz or Mathebula, but they were never able to offer much of a threat to Donaire.

Nishioka can offer that threat, but expect Donaire to also rise up and put in a stunning performance that we'd become so used to. Sometimes as fight fans we take things for granted, but I doubt we'll be forgetting this fight for some time. The pick is for Donaire to start fast before Nishioka comes back into the fight. It should be a sea-saw battle with Donaire taking a tight but deserved decision in a contender for fight of the year.

David Price-Audley Harrison: Battle of the Olympians

By Peter Wells: What does a Gold medal really mean? How can it be enjoyed when all it brings with it is expectation and pressure? It has taken Audley Harrison 12 years to finally be able to enjoy the feeling of being a Gold medallist. The ridiculous pressure that Audley has faced since winning the Heavyweight Gold medal at the Sydney Games in 2000, have at last been removed from his shoulders and he can look back at his memorable moment with joy, rather than stressing over a future that will never glisten as bright as that medal around his neck. Anthony Joshua has now taken the load from Audley's 40 year old shoulders as he will now be under the microscope throughout his career after capturing the Heavyweight Gold for Great Britain at this years Olympics.

This means for once all eyes aren't sternly staring down at Harrison, when he meets the up-and-coming British and Commonwealth Champion, David Price. The giant Liverpudlian is hot property right now, coming off the back of 3 big early knockout victories.



Something to be proud of: Harrison has never got the credit he deserved
for winning Gold at the Olympics

In 2008, David Price tried to replicate what his opponent did 8 years prior, but was stopped in the semi-finals by Italian Roberto Cammeralle. Price did come home from Beijing with a bronze medal, and was quickly swooped up by Frank Maloney. It wasn't until June last year though, that the talk about Price got serious. The unbeaten Tom Dallas was meant to give Price a tough fight, one that many believed he had a chance of winning. Price made a mockery of those suggestions, knocking out his outgunned foe in just 2 rounds, stamping his fist into the heavyweight scene. Then with the disappointment of David Haye's fight with Wladimir Klitschko and Fury's struggle against John McDermott, twice, all the attention was being diverted to Price.



Super size: Price is too strong for McDermott

In January this year, David Price demolished John McDermott in the opening round, scoring 3 knockdowns to capture the English title. Then after Tyson Fury vacated his British and Commonwealth titles, David Price took them with pleasure, annihilating Sam Sexton in just 4 rounds. That is ultimately why the talk about David Price has now spread across the Atlantic.

Harrison has a monster task ahead of him, but proved in May this year that he isn't washed up yet, taking out Ali Adams in 4 rounds before Adams tested positive for steroids. It was Harrison who had demanded that Adams be tested, and was right to do so, earning back some of the respect he lost after his embarrassing defeat at the hands of David Haye.

So how much does Harrison have left? And how much of a challenge can he give David Price? Well, he could give Price a big challenge. Harrison can produce, and can teach the younger Price a trick or two in the fight, but Price is on a hot streak, and won't be fazed by anything that Harrison offers. The pick is for Harrison to gradually become less effective as the fight goes on before being stopped between rounds 8-10.

No Gethin, but still a great show

By Peter Wells: It was meant to be all about local fighter Martin Gethin last night (Friday 21 September), but after his sponsors pulled out on Tuesday, Frank Warren came in to save the fight. Unfortunately for all his fans coming down to see Gethin bid for the IBF International Lightweight title, Warren took the fight to London on the same night, to leave the fans without the main event they had waited for.

Thankfully it wasn’t all doom and gloom, Martin Gethin went on to win the title by stoppage in the 11^th round, and the 5 fights that took place at Walsall Town Hall gave the fans plenty to be excited about. Apart from an unfortunate injury and a slightly early stoppage, fans were given a great night of boxing and an interesting look at the future stars of Midlands boxing.

A first live fight experience is always great, and I was treated to a fine first fight when Dean Anderson and Harvey Hemsley kicked it all off in sublime fashion. Dudley’s Dean Anderson was the home favourite and with is Floyd Mayweather like body looked to have the more sting in his punches. Harvey kept coming, firing away to try and unsettle ‘Deano’ (4-1-1) going into the fight. Anderson’s quick and powerful one-twos came at the end of every exchange before the gutsy Harvey went back to work, focusing a lot of his punches to the body. Anderson showed his mettle in the ring, fighting fire with fire for four tough rounds. Anderson’s guard remained high throughout the contest to stop any of Harvey’s hard shots to the head causing any real damage. It was a hard fight to score but despite Harvey’s best efforts the harder and more accurate punches came from Dean Anderson, who was rightly given the decision by a score of 39-37, I had it 40-37 to Anderson. Harvey Hemsley drops to 0-2, but with more displays like that he won’t be waiting long for his first victory.

Next into the ring was Stafford born Grant Cunningham against his toughest opponent yet in Jamie Roness. The two Super Middleweights fought at much slower pace, but it was still a very intriguing contest. Cunningham seemed to do enough work to earn the first. Sadly the fight ended as Roness had picked up an injury to his shoulder forcing him to retire, giving Cunningham his 5^th win against no defeats. A very disappointed Jamie Roness drops to 5-4-1.

It was then up to Kyle Spencer to lift the crowd again, in his 3^rd fight against debutant Matt Vaughan. The tall Light Middleweight had a huge backing from the crowd, as a large group of supporters stood throughout the fight. Spencer had his opponent in trouble on many occasions throughout the fight, bringing cheers every time he sent Vaughan to the ropes. Vaughan to his credit fought hard, but could never really compete with the power that Spencer had from long range. Spencer seemed desperate for his first stoppage defeat, but never once lost focus, not allowing Vaughan a chance to land any solid shots. Still despite Spencer’s domination it was as entertaining as a one-sided fight can be. Spencer was given every round 40-36 and moves to 3-0, while Vaughan can feel pleased with his first performance.

In the final 4 rounder of the night, unbeaten Adam Corbett took on tough journeyman Jody Meikel. Corbett also had a very vocal support who cheered their man whenever he threw a punch back at his smaller opponent. Corbett was boxing well in the first, until a very wild swing of the right glove from Meikel had the West Bromwich man on wobbly legs. Meikel followed up with more thunderous shots but Corbett had his guard up well before recovering to end the round well. Still it was a big round for the underdog who took that confidence into the second. Corbett though hadn’t learned his lesson as once again he left his chin defenceless, once again paying with a big overhand right, two more big punches and the referee jumped in to a chorus of “boos”. The fight was indeed stopped slightly early but Meikel was looking sharp and it was already turning into a hard task for Corbett to win the fight. Meikel won only his 4^th fight, moving to 4-25 while a deflated Corbett dropped to 3-1.

Last up was a 6 rounder between Steve Pearce and Billy Smith. Pearce’s fans were by far the loudest, singing songs all through the contest. Pearce didn’t let them down fighting well on the front foot, sending his man to the ropes on several occasions every round. Smith a veteran of 137 fights knew all the tricks in the book, and used all the dirty tactics he could get away with on the inside. Pearce though never looked rattled touching his opponents glove every time the referee gave them a telling off. In the 5^th things started to look worrying as a punch from Smith was blocked by Pearce with his left glove, which left him grimacing and went on the back foot. Pearce couldn’t disguise his pain, switching to southpaw, but looking extremely awkward doing so. Pearce may have lost the 5^th but managed to fight through the pain in the 6^th and final round. Pearce was given the verdict by a score of 60-56, while I had it 59-55 to Pearce. Billy Smith drops to 13-122-2, while Pearce moves to 5-0.

It was indeed a grand night of boxing for Walsall, a great night’s entertainment before the news that Walsall’s very own Martin Gethin had won the IBF International title. Hopefully it won’t be too long until Walsall Town Hall hosts its next boxing event.

Ward-Dawson: Andre Ward cements his place as a modern great



Talent: Ward floors Dawson three times on route to a stoppage win

By Peter Wells: Maybe it's about time we stopped the Mayweather, Pacquiao, who's the best in the world argument. Andre Ward may just have trumped them both with another completely dominate display. Ward has already cleared out the Super Middleweight division, and Chad Dawson the best Light Heavyweight in the world, and a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter himself didn't even come close to ending Ward's unbeaten run that's stretches back to when he was 12. When you look at Mayweather's and Manny's fights the last few years, they haven't won each fight as clearly as Ward has. Andre has fought the best in his division and the best fighter in the division above, Mayweather and Pacquiao haven't fought one another meaning they haven't fought the best in their division.




Enough of that, this isn't an article to argue who is the best in the world. Last night was Ward's night as he was simply awesome in dominating the ultra talented WBC Light Heavyweight champion. In the build up many worried if Dawson could make the weight well, but looked good at the weigh in and weighed almost 10lbs heavier than Ward on fight night. Dawson enjoys fighting at his own pace, using his jab to control rounds. 'S.O.G' took away Dawson's jab from the very start and after a slow first upped the pace to suit himself.



Ward's footwork is something to admire. Any youngster starting boxing should definitely watch the way Ward uses his feet to set himself up to land shots and avoid shots coming back. Ward is also a great thinker and may well have won this fight using his brain, seeing shots that others wouldn't notice if they stood their for 5 minutes let alone in a split second.



Respect: Dawson and Ward share kind words after the fight

The third round was the key round in the fight. Andre Ward and trainer Virgil Hunter clearly knew the short left hook was a key punch and after slipping a long right from Dawson Ward clipped Chad's chin with a precise left hook. Dawson hit the canvas but seemed to quickly regain his legs. The 4th was almost identical, Dawson throwing a wide right hook and Ward stepped in, using his impressive footwork to land his short chopping left flooring 'Bad Chad' for a second time. Ward went for the kill like never before but couldn't quite find the right punch to bring an end to proceedings.


After that Ward dominated and Dawson had already lost all confidence in the fight. Ward fought exceptionally both on the outside and the inside, landing uppercuts whenever the two clinched, not allowing Dawson a moments rest. Andre continued to box brilliantly before a quick combination had Dawson on wobbly legs before another left hook put the Light Heavyweight king down. Dawson rose again but sensibly told referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight.



Both fighters acted like gentlemen after the fight. Andre gave Dawson a lot of credit, while Dawson offered no excuses for the defeat despite Larry Merchant's ridiculous attempt to get Chad to bite the bait.



Ward has proven he is in another league to those fighters areound him, and he may be waiting on fighters moving up to fight him from Middleweight unless he moves up himself to Light Heavy. Dawson can now move back to his natural weight class, where big fights with Tavoris Cloud and Jean Pascal await. There is no shame for Dawson losing to Ward, there never is when losing to someone as great as Andre Ward.

Matthysse-Olusegun: Brave Ajose stopped after 10 classic rounds

Brutal: Matthysse shows his power when pinning Ajose on the ropes

By Peter Wells: It was never going to be easy. The Nigerian born Londoner has been the WBC mandatory challenger for several years, and has been overlooked the whole time. Then as though giving him a compensation prize, they pit him against arguably the best 140lbs fighter for the WBC Interim belt. Last nights performance may just have answered why they have overlooked him. He fought toe-to-toe with the hard hitting Lucas Matthysse and gave as much as he took, just not with the same force.

With his clear talents aired like on Showtime as main event, other sanctioning bodies will be adding Ajose to their lists. As for Lucas Matthysse he will get his long awaited world title shot against the winner of Danny Garcia vs Erik Morales (Garcia).

It was a brutal performance from Matthysse after a slightly tentative first round. Olusegun seemed to take the 1st, putting together good combinations. Ajose kept firing quick eye catching combinations but Matthysse's dynamite fists were always in reach to change the course of each round by sending his unbeaten opponent to the ropes before rallying. Ajose was as tough as nails, going through several scary moments in the first half of the fight. Referee Russel Mora was close to stepping in on several occasions. Had it been any other fighter Mora may have stepped in, but knowing how long Ajose had waited for this opportunity, Mora gave him as much chance as possible. Ajose did dish out his own fair share of punishment, and after the fight Matthysse told Showtime analyst Jim Gray, "I felt his power tonight".

In the second half of the fight Ajose seemed to gain more confidence, and seemed to have won round 7, while round 8 could have gone either way. Matthysse stepped up the pressure again after that and seemed to tighten up his own defence. The 10th round ended like the majority of the other rounds, with a flurry of hard punches coming from Matthysse and finally two big right hands had Olusegun on the deck. Mora had no hesitation in stepping in.

Matthysse deserves huge credit and beat a very tough fighter who could still challenge for a world title. Olusegun though may have left the ring receiving the most credit. A fighter with a huge heart and one I can see the American boxing audience taking a huge liking to. The only sad thing was that he didn't get to hear the final bell, because after that performance, it was the least Ajose Olusegun deserved. 

Andre Ward-Chad Dawson: Boxing at its best

Top of the game: Ward and Dawson are two of the best boxers in the world

By Peter Wells: Here it is. A boxing purists dream is upon us as two of the best fighters pound-for-pound step into the ring together in a fight showcased as 'Made in America'. Andre Ward and Chad Dawson are two boxers who show the world the art that is boxing. They have spent their careers perfecting the art and used their boxing intellect to win them multiple world titles. They have many similarities in the way they box but also they have the same motivations. To provide for their families and to become the best that they can be.
 
Their respect for the sport itself can be seen by the opponents they have faced. Chad Dawson has won the WBC, IBF and IBO Light Heavyweight titles, suffering just one defeat. He has ducked no one taking on Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson twice and also the age defying Bernard Hopkins. Tomasz Adamek, who is now a challenger at Heavyweight, has also shared a ring with him losing a clear decision. Jean Pascal is the only man to beat Dawson. After a very slow display from Chad he was behind on the scorecards before the fight was stopped in the 11th due to a cut on Dawson caused by a clash of heads. Chad was starting to pile on the pressure but he did need a knockout to win the fight. After that first defeat, Dawson's circle got much smaller. All the so called 'friends' had left, which has only left Dawson with a better outlook on who are his real friends. Now moving down in weight Chad faces a different challenge, but one he's wanted.


Two time champ: Dawson beats Hopkins to take back his
WBC title

Andre Ward's rise through the pound-for-pound listings has been incredible. At just 20-0 and still learning Andre Ward took the chance to enter the Super Six tournament, to face off with the best fighters at 168lbs. Ward was straight into the deep end as he took on the favourite, Mikkel Kessler. 'Son of God' shocked the boxing world, dominating Kessler before the referee stopped the fight due to cuts. Allan Green never won a second of their fight before he beat the awkward Sakio Bika on points. In the semi's Arthur Abraham took a beating before the final last December against the sensational Carl Froch. In what was expected to be a close fight turned into a one sided fight as Ward dominating from start to finish putting on one of the great boxing displays. Andre's victory was further enhanced when Froch destroyed unbeaten IBF champion Lucian Bute in 5 rounds. 


Unstoppable: Ward dominates Froch in Super Six Final

The most refreshing part of this fight is just how easy it was to make. In a generation of boxing where fighters blatantly avoid fighting other top fighters, Chad Dawson and Andre Ward again showed their respect for the sport and its fans. Dawson called Ward out after his victory over Bernard Hopkins. Andre Ward had no hesitation in answering, 'yes'. Chad Dawson was also very willing to drop down from 175lbs to 168lbs and looked good at the weigh in yesterday.

It is indeed a very fascinating fight, one that could swing either way. Ward has slightly more to lose in his unbeaten record and titles, but there is no doubt he would reign as champion again. A defeat for Dawson wouldn't hurt him at all. He could move back up to Light Heavyweight where a rematch with Jean Pascal or a clash with IBF king Tavoris Cloud wait. 
 
I expect a close fight that will go back and forth, but Ward seems to be the slicker of the two and may just do enough work to convince the judges. The result may be hard to predict but what isn't is the fact that this will show boxing at its finest. 

Tony Bellew-Edison Miranda: London ready to be rocked

Big Hitters: Both Bellew and Miranda are knockout artists

By Peter Wells: Interest in boxing is once again hotting up, and with a cracking weekend of top class boxing ahead of us, British boxing is getting more than it's fair share of crackers. Ajose Olusegun takes on Lucas Matthysse on Sunday morning UK time, but a few hours before that Mersyside hero Tony Bellew takes centre stage in what promises to be a fantastic encounter.

Edison Miranda is his opponent in what could be the toughest fight of his career so far. Bellew's toughest fight to date happened last year when he was a huge underdog going into his grudge match against WBO Light Heavyweight champion, Nathan Cleverly. Tony surpassed all expectation, losing on a majority decision (I scored the fight even 114-114). Cleverly was able to continue his reign unbeaten, but it was Bellew that left the ring with the most credit.

Bellew returned to action in April, destroying Danny McIntosh in 5 rounds to show that he no longer belongs at that level.  Bellew a big Everton fan has gotten himself to this stage of his career the hard way. He had to go about seeking a world title his own way and even now as he looks for a second shot at a world title he is taking on as tough a gatekeeper as there is.

His opponent Edison Miranda has mixed with the best throughout his career, mostly at Middleweight and Super Middleweight. His best asset and one he will be bringing up with him is his ferocious knockout power. 30 of his 35 victims have failed to hear the final bell and Arthur Abraham came out worse in their 2006 clash as Edison broke the German's jaw. Miranda floored Allan Green twice on route to a unanimous decision win before losing by knockout to the equally heavy handed Kelly Pavlik. Abraham then knocked out Edison in 4 before being dominated by Andre Ward, although Ward has so far dominated everyone he's been in the ring with. A knockout defeat to Lucian Bute proved he no longer belonged with the elite but is still a stern test for any fighter on the cusp of a title. A latest defeat to Isaac Chilemba will give Bellow plenty of encouragement going into the fight.

Still this is a huge test for Bellew and one he will need to pass if he is to get another shot at a world title. Bellew has plenty of power himself and the Colombian can be taken out. I envision Bellew letting his opponent come forward and picking him off with sharp counters. Miranda will put Tony's chin to the test but I expect him to hold firm before stopping Miranda late. It could be a cracker, I mean it will be a cracker and one that is not to be missed.

Lucas Matthysse-Ajose Olusegun: WBC mandatory finally gets a chance

On the outside: Olusegen has been overlooked by the WBC for nearly a year

By Peter Wells: Ajose Olusegun unfortunatley went along the wrong path on route to a world title. Had he been ranked mandatory challenger by the WBA, IBF or WBO he may have had his shot at the main title by now. Instead the the laughable WBC have offered him nothing for nearly the past 12 months after defeating Ali Chebah in a WBC Light Welterweight title elimination. Now though he has been given a shot. But, if you were thinking he had a shot at the main WBC title, you are obviously wrong. Firstly he isn't Mexican, so the joke that is Jose Sulimain won't give him the shot he merits.

Firstly Danny Garcia was given a shot at the title held by Erik Morales. Morales is a legand coming out of retirement but was given the title for no other reason than because he was Mexican. Exactly the same as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at Middleweight, whom many would believe is promoted by the WBC president due to the amount of times he's protected from fighting mandatory challenger Sergio Martinez, who he finally squares off with next weekend. After Garcia beat Morales, Ajose should have been given the shot he had qualified for. Instead the WBC screwed him other again, giving Amir Khan a shot after his fight had just collapsed against Lamont Peterson. So surely now Olusegun should get his shot at Garcia's title. No! Erik Morales used his rematch clause to set the most pointless world title fight of the year.

Ajose instead had to settle for the WBC Interim title, and his opponent is in my eyes a much tougher opponent than WBC champion Danny Garcia would have been. Lucas Matthysse is a ferocious puncher who is unlucky to have two defeats on his record after losing controversially to both Zab Judah and Devon Alexander.



Dominant: Olusegun was in control against Ali Chebah

A win though for Ajose would be massive. Not only will he have beaten one of the best Light Welterweight's in the world, but after Randall Bailey's injury cancelled his main event fight with Devon Alexander, Olusegun vs Matthysse has been promoted to main event. So what a way to show the world how good you are, and to step out of the shadows into a very bright division.

Olusegun's opponents haven't been at the same level as Matthysse's but he has quality written all over him. He's eased past all his opponents and will hope his slick boxing and long arms will help him fend of the dangerous fists of Matthysse.

Matthysse has had problems at times, fighting opponents who fight on the outside. When Devon Alexander circulled the Argentinian while regularly flicking out his speedy jab he was causing the big puncher problems. Alexander though didn't seem to be able to hold of his opponent to stop him getting on the inside. Devon got the decision but was very fortunate to do so.

Olusegun will be hungry for this victory and will fight the fight of his life, but Lucas can close the ring down like few fighters can. I expect the fight to last the distance but Matthysse should get the nod in an entertaining fight.

Team GB Olympic Boxing Review

The Greatest: Team GB topped the medal chart in the boxing

By Peter Wells: The greatest sporting event on earth may be all over now, but for some, it was just the beginning of a journey that will go far beyond a Olympic medal. For International viewers the highlight was Usain Bolt, for Great British veiwers it was Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah who stole the show, but it was in a smaller arena where Team GB really excelled beyond all expectation. In the ExCel Arena, 10 stars from Great Britain were born as the British team were top of the pile in the Boxing medals.
The level of boxing from all competitors was incredible, some proving why they could be future stars. The ever spectacular Vasyl Lomachenko once again proved why he is known as the Pound-for-Pound best amatuer boxer. Roniel Iglesias of Cuba proved an amazing star comfortably beating all his opponents on route to the Gold medal, and was my fighter of the tournament. Serik Sapiyev was awarded the Val Barker Trophey, and who can forget, Oleksandr Usyk's dancing in the ring after beating Clemente Russo in the Heavyweight final.

Unfortunatly not all of Team GB's amazing boxing team won a medal, but the way they fought was a credit to the sport. They may not have left with a medal but they can be more than proud of what they have achieved. Josh Taylor, Andrew Selby, Thomas Stalker, Natasha Jonas and Savannah Marshall, all have bright futures, whether that be in the amatuer of proffessional ranks. Reaching the Olympics is still a golden achievement.



Fight of the tournament: Katie Taylor and Natasha Jonas
put on an exceptional fight

There were so many highlights for Team GB in Boxing, too many to mention in fact, but i'll try my best to sum up a great Olympics. A big shout must go out to the Irish fans who drove their four medalists to success. The noise for Irish hero Katie Taylor's fight with Natasha Jonas was as loud as the fight was good. It was quite easily the fight of the tournament as both fighters traded toe-to-toe for 4 rounds.

As for our five medalists their roads to the podium were highlights for all British fight fans to remember. Anthony Ogogo took Bronze, Fred Evans Silver and Luke Campbell, Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams all took home Gold.



Hull's Golden Boy: Luke Campbell celebrates a faultless
Olympics

Freddie fought brilliantly all the way through to the final, his only demon being switching off when he was too comfortable. In the end he was defeated by the fighter of the tournament, Sapiyev who was exceptional in the final.

On the final Saturday of the Olympics, Luke Campbell finished off an inch perfect tournament when knocking down John Joe Nevin on route to a wide points victory. The 24 year old from Hull took his home Olympics in his stride, proving he is a big prospect for the future.



Golden Girl: Nicola Adam's became the face of female boxing

It was earlier that week when Team GB secured their first boxing medal, and the first ever Women's boxing Gold medal. Nicola Adams' smile was all over the news channel's and the paper's after she stormed here way into the history books. The Flyweight division was as tough as it gets and she had to come through Mary Kom and then Ren Cancan to take Gold, but she did it in style. Every time she walked to the ring, you could have been mistaken for thinking she was walking along to see friends rather than heading into a boxing ring to trade leather for four rounds.

As for Great Britain's final Gold of the Olympics, you couldn't have written a script for it. After 6 minutes of boxing, Anthony Joshua found himself unlucky to be 3 points down going into the final round. An almost impossible deficit to overturn, especially against a top quality fighter like Roberto Cammaralle. Big Josh had come with a plan, that plan consisted of him winning a Gold medal. Anthony never stopped coming forward and left us all with an anxious wait to see if GB boxing's poster boy had indeed completed an amazing turnaround. The scores were level and even before his name was called out the referee had lifted Joshua arm aloft, which was meet with deafening applause.

What an end!: Anthony Joshua wins GB's final Gold in spectacular fashion

Anthony now has a big decision to make, but i hope he chooses the option that he feels is right for him and not for the fans.

The last of our medallists but by far not our least is Anthony Ogogo. Anthony has come along a very tough road to reach the Olympics. He was knocked out of the World Championships last year after an injury that looked to have cost him his dream of competing in the London 2012 games. But there is almost an inch of hope, and Anthony found it. He miraculously recovered to fight in the final qualifier for the Olympics earlier this year against all the odds and came through to qualify.

Moment for life: Anthony Ogogo's joy after beating the world no.1 shows how
much the Olympics means

Then when things seemed to be getting better for Anthony his mother suffered a brain aneurysm just before the Olympics. Anthony took time to think before deciding he would go to the Olympics and bring home a medal for his mother. The draw though was unkind on Ogogo, pitting him against the World Number 1, Ievgen Khytrov in the second round. But for a man who had been through so much, this was just an obstacle in his path to fulfilling his dream. The fight was tense and behind a tight guard Anthony took the best that Khytrov had. He opened up a 2 point lead after the first round, but after being rocked in the second round his lead had been cut to a single point. After a frantic final the round the crowd and boxers were left to wait for a good 5 minutes. The scores were level, countback was level, but the majority of judges gave Anthony the nod for the biggest upset of the competition. Ogogo was in joy like the rest of Great Britain. It was poetry in motion, a great moment of the Olympic games that can be remembered forever. Ogogo then secured a medal with a much more comfortable victory. Anthony though had put so much into getting to the medals he had nothing left in the semi-final. The Brazilian Falcao was too strong on the day and took a convincing victory 16-9.

I left Anthony Ogogo till last for a reason. What he has been through and what he has achieved will inspire many people around the world. The whole of Great Britain is proud of him but no one more than his mother Teresa.

Glen Johnson retires: 'Road Warrior' calls an end to his fantastic career

True Warrior: That was Glen Johnson

By Peter Wells: At 5'9 he was never the biggest of Light Heavyweights, in fact he wasn't a big Super Middleweight but this Jamaican born fighter never has gone about things the way they should be. With a record of 51-17-2(35) the 'Road Warrior' Glengoffe Johnson - known as Glen - was one of the most feared fighters of his generation. Johnson could easily have been called the 'tax man' - any fighter at world class level avoiding the big fights would be sought out by Johnson.

Despite his record he never stooped down a level. He was a world class fighter and stayed there till the end of his career last Friday even at the age of 43 and having been a pro for 19 years. Two years ago Andrzej Fonfara would have been exposed by Johnson much like Allan Green but the 'Road Warrior's' tank was empty, and the Polish fighter took full advantage to take a clear 10 round decision.

Glen Johnson probably won't be talked about in the years to come, not as much as the man he knocked out in 9 rounds in 2004, Roy Jones Jr, but for those of us who were lucky enough to watch Glen Johnson fight we will remember his fights fondly. To mention all his fights at world class level would take up too many pages to think about. After being stopped for the first and only time in his career back in 1997 to legendary boxer Bernard Hopkins he has rarely fought in an easy fight. Simply put, easy fights weren't in Johnson's nature.

There was nothing to seperate Woods and Johnson in there three wars

British fight fans will remember him for his trilogy with former IBF Light Heavyweight champion Clinton Woods. In the first the fighters had to settle for a split draw when contesting the vacant IBF crown. Three months later they were back in the ring together where Johnson took a close points decision. In the third fight of the trilogy Clinton Woods took his revenge taking a split decision in a back and forth brawl. Woods described Johnson as a "great champion" a quote many more fighters said of the Miami based fighter.

In between the Woods trilogy he knocked out the sensational Roy Jones Jr in 9 rounds before beating Antonio Tarver. 'The Magic Man' Tarver avenged the defeat in an instant rematch on points.

Career defining: Johnson will always be remembered for
his knockout of Roy Jones Jr

Montell Griffin, Fred Moore and Hugo Pineda all failed the Johnson test, before he gave a tough fight to current WBC Light Heavyweight champion Chad Dawson. The decision was debated and Johnson was rightly given a rematch a year later but this time was beaten more convincingly by his young rival. At 40 years old the media started to question whether Johnson should retire but he silenced his critics once again with a 6th round knockout of Yusuf Mack. Johnson outlasted the 30 year old in a brutal fight, showing once again that age was no barrier. Later that year he was back fighting for world honours, but was once again on the wrong end of a close decision to unbeaten IBF champion Tavoris Cloud.

Surely that was it for the 'Road Warrior', wasn't it? No! Johnson dropped down to Super Middleweight to replace Mikkel Kessler in the Super Six tournament. His first opponent was Allen Green who had just lasted the 12 rounds with the young American star, Andre Ward. Green though was taken out in 8 rounds by the age defying Johnson.

Still got it: Even into his 40's Johnson was still knocking top fighters out

That though proved to be his last hooray. He was beaten by three time Super Middleweight world champion Carl Froch in the semi-finals of the competition, despite giving 'The Cobra' a very hard night. Then he was dominated by IBF Super Middleweight champion Lucian Bute over 12 rounds, before his final defeat at the hands of Fonfara.

It was a sad end to such a great career but despite those 17 defeats, very few of those were convincing ones. The question now is does he deserve a place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame? Well, if you look at what he's done throughout his career, I can only think of one answer. Yes!

Khan-Garcia: Garcia hopes to spoil Khan's Light Welter farewell party

Khan and Garcia exhange for the final time before the fight

By Peter Wells: It is never a good idea to go into a fight angry. It very rarely works well for a fighter as game plans are hard to follow when all you can think about is how much you want to punish your opponent. Angel Garcia only needed one rant of how Khan didn't deserve to be a champion and he was nothing but a name, to get under his son's opponents skin.

Amir Khan plans on taking out his frustrations on Angel's son Danny Garcia tonight in Las Vegas. To do this Amir has to fight without emotion in this fight, as emotion will drag him into a brawl which thus far in his career hasn't worked out to well. He fought Marcos Maidana toe-to-toe and came out the worse for wear, but did prove that he no longer had the glass jaw everyone had labelled him with. Then he lost his WBA and IBF titles to Lamont Peterson when engaging in a brawl despite being able to dominate when boxing on the back foot.

I don't feel much need to go into any detail about the Peterson controversy. Put simply, Peterson tested positive for synthetic testosterone which he later admitted to taking testosterone pellets before the first fight which were given to him by a doctor for medical reasons.

Fighting angry?: Danny Garcia's father Angel has gotten under Khan's skin

Danny Garcia will feel confident he can win if he can turn this fight into a brawl, but will surely understand if Khan uses his jab that has worked so effectively in fights with Paulie Malignaggi and Andreas Kotelnik, he can dominate the fight at will. But Khan loves a bit of a brawl and will undoutably go to war with Garcia when he gets too comfortable on the back foot. Garcia must take advantage of this flaw of Khan's when he can.

Getting involved in a brawl was Khan's downfall against Lamont Peterson

One advantage Garica does have is that if there was ever a man born to be a boxer it was him. His parents are both Puerto Rican while he was born and raised in Philadelphia. Two areas with boxing tradition running through the veins of the community.

Unfortunately for Garcia not everyone blessed with such boxing backgrounds can be great, and right now he isn't quite ready for a fighter at Khan's level. Khan should use his jab to keep Garcia at distance and then step in with quick combinations to keep his opponent off balance. Garcia may nick rounds whenever Khan takes the fight inside as he inevitably does, but i don't believe Garcia has the power to really hurt the Bolton man. So the best bet is for Khan to take a comfortable decision in his final fight at the 140lbs division.