There are a couple of rumors floating around the Beltway that deserve some mention.
There is talk that former WBA Super Lightweight champion Sharmba Mitchell will be involved in a welterweight title bout on August 12 in Las Vegas. Mitchell may be facing WBO Welterweight titleholder Antonio Margarito on the undercard of the WBC Heavyweight title bout between champion Hasim Rahman and Oleg Maskaev.
I've read reports that say the choice comes down to either Mitchell or former WBO Junior Welterweight champ Felix Flores. This may end up being an easy choice in Mitchell's favor because Flores has a bout scheduled for this Friday, June 2. If Flores doesn't come out of this bout well, Mitchell may end up getting the shot.
The other rumor involves Smithsburg, MD super featherweight Dean "Pit Bull" White. I'm hearing that White will be on this Saturday's Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo undercard in Las Vegas. White will be moving to 140 pounds to face undefeated Nick "Hands of Gold" Casal of Niagra Falls, NY.
White (13-4, six KO's) has not fought since February 23 when he evened the score with Mike Ricasa at Martin's West, winning an eight-round decision. In Casal, however, White faces one of the rising star prospects in the junior welterweight division. Casal (14-0, 12 KO's, one NC) impressed many folks along the Beltway when he fought Martinus Clay and stopped him in the first round in June 2005 at Michael's Eighth Avenue. After that bout, however, Casal tested positive for cocaine and the result was changed to a no-contest.
Casal was suspended for six months and did not return to the ring until January of this year. He has won three straight bouts since the suspension, two by knockout.
If this bout comes to pass and White wins, it will be one of the biggest upsets in 2006. I will keep you posted on both rumors.
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3 comments:
Although it will be good for sharmba to make some cash fighting Margarito, I don't think he has a shot against him. It's just a very bad matchup for him. It's a shame that he is finally getting big fights so late in his career after most of his skills have diminished. Even more unfortunate is that he has to move up to get these fights and because he's older, he loses the one advantage(speed) he used to have fighting these younger and bigger guys.
You are right on all accounts. Mitchell showed in his last encounter that he is more willing to slug with someone. That could be because his speed has diminished.
I agree that will not work against Margarito. Also, Margarito is using this bout (against whomever it will be) to make a statement that he belongs in the ring with the Mayweathers and Hattons of the world.
Yep...You guys certainly hit that one on the mark.
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