We're only moments away from long-awaited showdown between heavyweight champions Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye, but outside of the diehard fans, there doesn't seem to be much buzz from the general public from what I've gathered. Sitting ringside at the Alexander-Matthysse fight this past weekend, I asked several fight fans what they thought about the big Heavyweight fight this coming weekend and many of them retorted with, "Really? Who's fighting?" The fact that the defining Heavyweight fight of our generation is between a Ukranian and a U.K. fighter doesn't really carry the same punch as past big fights in the division, does it?
Even I find myself not overly eager to tune in to the fight this Saturday. Although I intend to watch it, as I try to every fight, it really is a shame that we have a truly great champion in Klitschko going for the biggest win of his career against a guy in Haye that could be great and in the same boat. My money is that Klitschko-Haye will get less airtime on HBO than big brother Vitali's defense against Mexican-American Cristobal Arreola did. Only time will tell.
The Best of the Rest
Not only did Devon Alexander run out of St. Louis with yet another debatable decision against Lucas Matthysse last weekend, but now, he's straight up running out of the division, probably to avoid the rest of the talented 140 pounders for his next fight. Alexander is targeting Paulie Malignaggi for a clash later this year. It could be more fun than people will give credit for. Both guys legitimately do not like each other, so it will be a fun fight from the press conference to the final bell. Let's just hope that there's no big push for the fight to land in St. Louis again, though that might sit fine with Alexander.
Tavoris Cloud and Jean Pascal are looking like they want to fight each other big time, and I think they will, but to think they'd be fighting on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson is stretching it way out there. With just the addition of Pascal alone, there will be three separate promoters running the show and not enough purse money to go around.
Fantasy-mode here, but how awesome of a card would it be if, on the undercard of Gamboa vs. Ponce De Leon this coming September, we'd also get Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Jhonny Gonzales? That's the stuff that makes fight fans drool.
Potshot Picks
Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye
Presuming Haye makes it into the ring, he's going to have to use the speed and athleticism that we honestly haven't seen since he was at Cruiserweight. Klitschko may not be such a young guy anymore, but Haye is going to have to get on the inside and eat punches on the way in to land his one punch, which won't serve him well. Klitschko by KO inside six.
Potshot Picks is 15-2 Year to Date.